Last year, I was set on writing a year-ender essay about 2023 being one filled with answered prayers.
We finally got to follow Jay here in Saudi Arabia, a year after having another long-distance relationship because of his work assignment. My long-haul flight with Ate A was a breeze, and we immediately adjusted to the way of life here in the kingdom.
I am not a hard-to-please person. Since my childhood, I’ve been taught to easily adapt to my surroundings and adjust my wants as long as my needs are provided. I am thankful God gave me a husband who shares these values. Even though our current life is measured and restricted because of the culture in KSA, we respect and even welcome the freedom accorded to women which were not present decades ago.
For example, though foreign women are already allowed not to wear abayas as long as they dress modestly, we notice many women still follow the rule especially where we live. Also, there are still segregation when it comes to restaurants. Bachelors have their own section, while single women eat at the family section. But women are now allowed to work and drive, rights they did not have years ago.
Back to our family’s story. We live a simple life here. It revolves around our home, Jay’s work, friends, and private worship. Every Friday, we meet with our Pinoy potluck friends, and we regularly meet-up with Jay’s officemate couple-turned-family T and A. We have dinner out or catch a kid-friendly movie. We also often travel to Bahrain, a country two hours away by land from where we live.
A couple of months after settling in and getting our routines in order, I started writing again. I am thankful that my work connections allow me to pitch stories I am excited to write and cover, that is why I am able to submit them earlier if not on the day of my deadlines.
Towards the end of the year, our family had a little scare. My condition started to rear its ugly head and we immediately consulted a doctor for it.
It first manifested through my aching bones. Since I was a kid, my knees would hurt a lot. We thought it was because I always liked walking barefoot on our marbled floors in our old family home (a habit our daughter Arya inherited from me). During adulthood, the pain reached my back, but I attributed it to my poor posture. And after giving birth to Ate A, the hip pain followed.
To get to the bottom of it, we went to a general physician. She ordered blood tests and a complete spinal X-ray. The results read I had mild scoliosis. Meanwhile, the blood tests showed it was not rheumatism. So I chalked it up to arthritis.
We did not have a chance to follow up with the GP as we were going to the Philippines for a quick vacation and New Year celebrations. I needed a break as the winter weather was not agreeing with my body. I was again sleepless for days.
We had already taken two previous pregnancy tests just to check if I was with child. This is because we discovered my pregnancy with Ate A when I was already past the first trimester (that’s one of the reasons I consider her a miracle baby).
The night before our flight to PH, I asked Jay to buy pregnancy kits of different brands. Sure enough, both of them were positive.
It was a pleasant surprise. It caught us off-guard because we had only started trying again. We didn’t think God would answer our prayers so soon.
So that’s it! Our 2023 was a good one, but oh my were we in for a turn of events for 2024. Stand by for the second part of my story next week!
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