Last Sunday, I just spent the afternoon with rox. Well, to date, it's been a month since the last time we went to the mall or just kinda hang out. I kinda missed the chats n stuff. Enwai, We were at the mall for lunch and to scout for a new pair of sandals or a bag maybe. Of course, SM was going on SALE so we kinda thought of going there to get the best bargain en stuff. They say that when SM goes on sale, they mean SALE in all caps. I guess what stopped us from going there was aside from the rain we remembered an experience we had before when we were doing our Christmas shopping with our friend jorge and her dad literally had to fight his way through getting a taxi. Like most dads, he was our hero cause he got a taxi among crowds of people waiting to go home. We couldn't forget the inconvenience. So we just walked around Ayala, they're not on Sale that day but the pressure and the stress at SM is definitely not worth it. It didn't take long for us to find this perfect pair of sandals and not long after that, the perfect bag. The leather sandals was just PERFECT. The perfect fit, perfect design and best of all, it was so comfortable that you can walk on 'em like forever. Then we checked for the price, P1,250. Hmnnn... not bad for a perfect pair of sandals considering that it feels as comfortable as a pair of Bass, Naturalizer or Rockport sandals would feel. The problem was not with the sandals, but with our pockets. We cannot afford such an amount for the perfect sandal we wanted. So, with sad looks on our eyes, we looked for the second best sandals. Sure enough we found several pairs that kinda looked like the perfect sandal, about the same design, about the same comfort and half the price or way cheaper. But it didn't feel like the way those perfect sandals embraced our feet. It was still the second best choice. Our hearts were glued to the perfect sandals that it was such a torture that our money cannot afford such delight. To us, it was a luxury buying it, maybe to others, a pair of $1,250 for a sandal is nothing. Then, with our weary hearts, we moved on to looking for the best bag, I of course was not interested for the perfect bag but my bestfriend had an option between a bag or sandals. Just right off the corner of MAZE, we spotted the bag. It was stylish yet conservative, it was a mix of native material, cloth and synthetic leather, the design was definitely for those who want some funk. Again, it looked so perfect, the design, the size, the whole comfort of carrying it around, definitely a conversation piece as an added bonus. Again, we looked at the price and i think it was P750 something, I'm sure it was less than P1000. Our hearts continued to sink cause though the price was not too high, and again, our pockets cannot afford it. We both resolved to finding the next best thing. We continued to walk around the mall looking for the more or less same style, same feel, same size but for half the price or cheaper. There was no other bag like it, just like there was no other perfect sandal for half the price. What was interesting about the whole event was our resort to find the second best. We were making mental notes on the pros and cons of whether or not trading comfort for affordability. Still, it didn't matter what the pros and cons were, what mattered was that our hearts were already set to those perfect sandals and bag. Just like a lightbulb, we figured to save enough money so that someday we can afford it. Saving translates to waiting, it means time, it means sacrifices. It meant that if we so desired to get nothing less than the perfect then we both have to wait, we both have to sacrifice a portion of our allowances and we have to wait until the time that we have enough money to buy it. We were able to apply that experience to the choices that we make in life. Even in the major decisions we make, whenever we make a choice that is quite impossible to attain, we resolve to second best maybe for fear of failure. Why do we resolve to settling for second best? There is no substitute for the BEST. We all know that God has His best interest for all of us, and that entails waiting, saving ourselves from unnecessary hurts, and making certain sacrifices. I learned a valuable lesson that day. And that lesson is that whenever we have set our hearts to attain nothing less than the best, we have to wait, we have to sacrifice and we have to save cause the BEST is worth it all. For now, I think I will just to dream of wearing those perfect sandals. I'm sure with a little discipline on my part, I will have enough money to buy myself a pair of those perfect sandals.

So, how did our day end? It ended perfectly. How? My bestfriends lola is currently in the hospital, like what she mentioned, only 30-40% of her kidneys are functioning. But she said she was a fighter. Just before we parted ways, she thought of buying her flowers. It was a rather a much better idea. So off we went to National bookstore, found the perfect card and bought a bouquet of lilys. It was more or less a perfect way of showing our dear loved ones how perfect they are in their own way. I learned a lot that day. and allow me to borrow the words from Mawi Asgedom from his book Of Beetles and Angels, "...the exchange of gifts blesses the giver even more than the receiver." I think we chose the best that day, we chose to give rather than to please ourselves with buying either a sandal or a bag.