XXV: A Hell of a Week & A Simpler Prayer

So, what do I want to talk about?

Well, first, let me talk about one hell of a week.

One Hell of a Week

Since Saturday, I have been through hell.

I was alone with my thoughts while most of my family was out of town. I cried about a significant loss for the 97th time. I lacked proper sleep because I avoided drinking my nightly medicine. I ran through the work week with double cups of iced coffee per day, and I faced numerous rejections and scolds along the way.

What kept me going? My Friday night ritual: kicking off the weekend with my favorite alcohol drinking, a Jack & Coke Zero. And tonight, when I finally opened a can and took that first sip, it felt like heaven on earth. And funnily, thinking of the word “heaven” made me remember the opposite “hell”, and then I remembered a quote from the Demon of Death Valley and my all-time favorite pro wrestler, The Undertaker. I remembered my 6th Notes to Self.

Sometimes it is hell trying to get to heaven.

The Undertaker, WWE SmackDown (March 6, 2009)

Like I said, I have been through hell lately. My physical, mental, and emotional states were put to the test. But I pushed through and kept fighting. And now, here I am tonight, looking back at the past, sipping my favorite drink, relieved, and saying to myself, “I have been through hell, and now I’m enjoying a taste of heaven.” I deserve happiness, especially in the form of my beloved cocktail.

Aside from my Friday plans of drinking a refreshing Jack & Coke Zero, in between the lack of weekend sleep and going through the work week fueled with caffeine, what kept me holding on is…

A Simpler Prayer

After crying buckets last Saturday, I went to church with my cousins and with a heavy heart. I wanted to talk to my cousins about how difficult it has been for me mentally, but I have to keep it for now so they should not worry.

I admit that going to church lately, before last Sunday, felt a bit like a chore. But last Sunday, I had never sung the hymns and participated in the Mass more wholeheartedly. And that day’s Gospel and the homily’s gist of “Can we start forgiving and loving one another?” That hit my heart and I almost cried.

And lately, before last Sunday, I had been praying for many things like sharing my entire Amazon wishlist with God. But last Sunday, I only prayed for two things. I will only share the second thing for now:

…but in the meantime, please hold me longer.

And you know what? After Mass and having a tasty Army Navy dinner with my cousins, I gained the energy to hold on and to keep on fighting. Yes, the eventual week ahead was rough, but I kept holding on no matter what. If I ran out of batteries, I felt I had more than one reserved battery for emergencies. And now, here I am, in a better state, kicking off the weekend with a Jack & Coke Zero—a definition of heaven for me.

Thank you, God, for helping me get through hell. I will keep holding on. I will keep on fighting.

Anyway, that is what happened to me lately. Now I’m going to finish my drink and enjoy the weekend. See you in the next post and happy weekend! Cheers!

Ω

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Header image: Nuh Isa of Pexels (left image). Daniel Borges of Pexels (right image). Edited in Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Published on May 24, 2025 at 1:08am. Edits were made on June 4, 2025 at 7:35pm.