Still Grateful: Counting My Blessings Amid the Storms of 2025

Still Grateful: Counting My Blessings Amid the Storms of 2025

2025 was not an easy year—especially for us Filipinos. One challenge seemed to follow another. Powerful typhoons arrived almost back-to-back. Earthquakes shook different parts of the country. Then came the controversial—no, scandalous—flood control projects that even the President himself exposed. On top of that, we faced our own struggles at work and at home.

Week after week, it felt like something bad was always happening.

But when I recently looked back at my Gratitude Journal for 2025, I was reminded of an important truth: even in difficult seasons, there are still countless reasons to be thankful. Here are some of the blessings that stood out most to me this year.

1. Good Health I underwent a full blood chemistry test this year, and I’m grateful that—despite my age—my results came back normal. Best of all, I still don’t need to take any maintenance medicine. Good health is something we often take for granted, until it’s gone.

2. Returning to Baguio City I haven’t traveled much in the past two decades, so being able to return to Baguio City—the Summer Capital of the Philippines—after 14 years felt extra special. It was refreshing, nostalgic, and deeply meaningful.

   

3. A New Laptop I had been using my old laptop for more than seven years, and it was literally falling apart. I’m thankful that Huawei had a sale on their i5 laptops—and even more thankful for the unexpected freebie: a leather laptop bag worth around PHP 5,000. A small blessing, but a very practical one.

   

4. Both of Our Sons Making the Honors List Our youngest has always been a consistent honor student, but seeing our eldest finally make the honors list—his first time since transferring from public school—was incredibly rewarding. It reminded us that progress happens at different paces.

5. Swimming Medals Against the Odds Convincing our eldest son to return to swimming training wasn’t easy. His preparation was constantly disrupted by recurring flu episodes over more than two months. He even got sick a week before the competition. Despite all that, he still won three individual Bronze medals, which qualified him for relay events. There, his team earned two Gold medals. Watching him push through adversity was truly inspiring.
   I would also like to thank the Tangled Social community for helping us raise the funds to buy the fins he needed for training. Your support made a real difference.

6. Two of My NFTs Were Sold I started minting NFTs on splot.io this year. So far, two of my pieces have been bought, and I even won a couple of times in the platform’s competitions. It’s encouraging to see creative efforts recognized. (Please check my NFT profile in Splot.io: https://splot.io/profile/jloberiza)
   

7. Teaching Aikido to Kids Again After more than two years of inactivity due to the lack of a venue, we were finally able to teach Aikido again—this time at a mall on weekends. Most of our students are kids and teenagers, and it feels good to pass on the art once more.

8. Overall Champion – Elementary Girls Swimming Team This is my second year coaching the swimming team, and I’m grateful that we emerged as Overall Champions during the Division Meet. This win means we’ll be competing at the regional level next March—an exciting opportunity for the team.

9. Reviving My Pulang-Agila Webtoon Project I finally resumed work on my Pulang-Agila webtoon/graphic novel—a story that has lived in my mind for years. I’m currently reworking the characters and hope to officially launch the project by summer.
   

10. Learning to Use AI to My Advantage Many say AI will replace jobs. What I’ve learned instead is this: AI can be a powerful tool if we learn how to use it wisely. Rather than fearing it, I’ve started using AI to make my work easier and more efficient.

In Closing

When bad things happen, it’s easy to dwell on them and feel overwhelmed. But when we pause and reflect, we often realize that good things—big and small—still happen every single day.

These are just some of the blessings I’m most grateful for in 2025. In a year filled with uncertainty and challenges, gratitude helped me stay grounded—and reminded me that hope is always present, if we choose to look for it.

Have a blessed and prosperous new year!

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Credits:

Main image: AI-generated

The rest of the photos are mine.

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For my short content, please join me in Tangled Social: https://jloberiza.tangled.com/join

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