I love the sense of purpose, happy that I share with the readers at all times, the ink from my heart

I never thought I would end up writing for a newspaper. Yes, I dabbled in the school paper when I was in high school but most everyone goes through that. Although the thought intrigued me it was farthest from my life’s plan to actually one day write a column for one of the country’s leading newspapers no less. But then life has a way of handing you serendipitous chances and the most graceful thing you can do when that happens is to take a leap of faith.

Admittedly though, when the idea was first broached to me by The STAR president Miguel Belmonte my first impulse was to say no – not for the reason that I did not want to but more because I was at a loss on what I could possibly write about, week after week, that would be worth allotting five minutes of precious time on. The thought of a weekly deadline to meet, much more an interesting topic to write about, petrified me. I would be sharing personal thoughts, my own take on things and I was not quite sure I was up to that. I found myself turning in my first piece within a week’s time. For someone like me, a very shy person, it was quite a bold thing to do.

So there I was week after week working on one subject a time – sometimes finishing a piece in just one sitting, other times putting it together in snippets carried out within a span of two days. STAR Entertainment editor Ricky Lo was the one who coined my column name "Love Lucy" (thank you, Ricky!) and before I knew it, there just was no looking back. Now, I mark the 24th month that I have been writing for the STAR.

The last two years have been splotched with much fulfillment and a lot of learning and growing up. Just as I share (and continue to do so) what I have learned so far, so too have I been enriched by the many things I picked up along the way. I have come to realize that as it is with living, the journey that is writing should also be enjoyed in bits and pieces as much as it should be embraced and valued as a whole.

I am thankful when I finally press the "send" icon on my e-mail because it signals the fact that yet another deadline has been met. Over and above that though, the whole week leading to that moment always proves to be a patchwork of experiences and oft unspoken thoughts – the sum of which I end up sharing with the readers at one point or another. That is where the joy lies. And that brings me to why I love writing for the STAR.

I love the sense of purpose, the spontaneity of it all. It is akin to having a diary; the contents of which I share in the hope of making even just one person feel good about something or someone. If before I would be at my wit’s end trying to come up with a topic, now I know better to just go with the flow, many a time sitting in front of the computer with nary an idea where my thoughts would take me. Topics of "interest" are largely relative so instead of pressuring myself to comply with boxed-up ideas I decided from the onset to take the alternate route and just very simply write from the heart. I always say that a looming deadline is the best motivation – it is at that time when thoughts gush forth in unbridled fashion, when it is my heart – not my mind – taking lead. And based on the letters and feedback I have been getting that is what you, my readers, appreciate most about my writing. Of course, it helps that I have an editor who does not rein me in, who does not limit me to just a few topics. On the contrary, she encourages me to make my subjects as diverse as possible. For that, I am – and always will be – grateful.

I write mainly to inspire but it is the readers who inspire me. Because I am driven by the verve to share, I have learned to be more appreciative of the things I may otherwise take for granted. My daily experiences, mundane as they may be, have long ceased to be just about me and my immediate circle. My senses have never been so alert, so attuned to what is happening around me. Who knows what joy you may discover in the pursuit of new things or remembrances of things past?

I have grown beyond the girl who writes in her blue diary with gold-gilded edges and keeps it under lock and key. Being with the STAR has blessed me with the opportunity to reach out and touch more people in ways I did not even dare imagine. Total strangers who have sent me letters or approached me to tell me about something I wrote that inspired them, a restaurant I recommended that they also enjoyed, home-keeping/household tips that they clipped out and tried – their kind thoughts and warm words prod me to write on and beat deadline after deadline, even when I am hard-pressed for time.

It is also through writing that I discovered more about myself. Suffice it to say that although I knew I have always enjoyed food I just never realized how much I truly did until recently when someone pointed out to me that she gained weight just by trying out all the restaurants I have written about. Whether I’m sad or happy (if my archive is any indication), food remains a source of comfort. Well, as the saying goes, "From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." All the same, I was quite surprised to discover that about myself.

Did I ever tell you that I wanted to frame the first check I ever got as a STAR columnist? (I ended up having it photocopied for purely sentimental reasons). It was not so much the amount but the fact that it was the first time I truly felt that I earned my paycheck. I was remunerated for something I actually did, not because my skin was nice or my hair was soft and smooth. It thrills me up to this day, and I know it is a feeling I will have for a long, long time to come.

I was once asked if, by my very personal approach to writing, I see portions of myself being stolen. I have never looked at it that way. Rather, I choose to think of it as portions of me being shared. If even just one person gets inspired to be better – be it through a personal relatonship with God, a new shade of lipstick to feel good about oneself and smile more, or the enjoyment of food or the pursuit of a new hobby – then I am happy. There may be things I will not be able to completely describe but I am content knowing that what I share comes from the heart. However it is interpreted, I trust that in some way I have given readers something to smile about.

Meanwhile, I will continue to tell the story of everyday life as it is lived, of relationships as they are nurtured, of memories as they are made. It is true when they say that time passes so quickly when you enjoy what you do. Writing for the STAR has proven exactly that.