Charmed Life by Gretheline Bolandrina

Ring around the rosy a pocketful of posies "Ashes, Ashes" We all fall down! Words to this children’s ring game have their origin in English history, dating back to the Great Plague of London (1665) Such a dainty little ditty for something connected to something as horrific as the Bubonic Plague (Black Death).

I was pregnant with my first child, a soon to be new mother when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, killing thousands of people. Though I was in Boston, I felt the sadness from my native land. The eruption buried a number of towns, and changed the lives of a lot of people. Mine included. I couldn’t fathom how much destruction there was. I eventually found out first hand years later when I joined one of HOPE Foundation’s Medical Missions (Health Organization for the Poor Enterprise).

And with serendipity comes, Excel Frames & Decors (www.excelframesndecors.com) Rossano “Sonny” Osi is the owner of a ceramics factory in Porac, Pampanga, one of the badly devastated towns. Lifted off of their website, “Sonny was a second year medicine proper student when the eruption took place. The rampaging lahar (volcanic debris) buried Sonny’s ceramics factory and this made him start having second thoughts about pursuing his medical studies. “The tragedy made me think of what I wanted to do with my life,” Sonny relates. “Could I help more people by becoming a doctor or by rebuilding my business?” After much thought, Sonny made the painful decision of dropping out of med school. He relocated his ceramics factory to Angeles City and thought of what to do with the tons and tons of lahar that accumulated not only in Porac but also in neighboring towns. With his background in medical technology and what he calls his “artistic calling,” Sonny came up with the idea of making picture frames out of lahar.” Out of the ashes came, Excel Frames and Decors. In a short span of time, Sonny has gone global, conquering Hong Kong in 1993, then the US and Europe. Pinoy ingenuity with items proclaiming, “Proudly Philippine Made”.

I have had Baptism “give-aways” made for my youngest son from Excel Frames and Decors. Family and friends treasure the adorable and very meaningful trinket. My siblings and I all have a special crucifix that my parents had chosen from Excel Frames and Decors. I have had the honor of meeting Sonny in person, on one of my Manila visits. I started the piece with a reference on ashes and lahar. But it isn’t so much about the lahar, or any material possession but of re-birth, of hope, awakening. Getting up after a fall. No matter how bad. Making lemonades out of lemon. Most recently, typhoon has devastated the Philippines, and in true form, our people rise again. We help each other. We find beauty in our people. We rally on and march forward. Our passions in life keeping us together, with stories like Sonny’s keeping us inspired. Mabuhay!

Feel free to e-mail me reactions, comments and or suggestions for ideas to ponder. Contact me at Gretheline@aol.com or through Carousel Productions.