By chance

MANILA, Philippines -There are stories that touch our hearts and lives; stories that allow us to relate from the deleterious past, to learn from the reality of today, and to imagine what tomorrow brings. I, for one, love the stories of 40 people who showed their strength in spite of the obstacles in their lives.

I still remember when this noteworthy book of mine made me aware of everything. Right after my high school graduation in Catanduanes in 2009, my parents wanted me to take up nursing in Manila. I grew up on an island where life is as smooth as a surrounding plateau and the aspiration of people are as high as the mountains. And so shifting from rural to urban life was not easy for me. I doubted if I would make it in the big city.

Before the start of a new academic year, most students are busy buying books and school supplies. Luckily, at National Book Store, I found myself standing before the book that ultimately changed my life. Being a nursing student means having a stack of books on my shelves, paradoxically, this was the first book that I bought with my allowance, so I treasure it the most.

Bo Sanchez’s 40 Stories of Passion is not merely a book of stories. I would rather consider it as a book of lives — lives of joy, angst, odds and limelight. These are stories that shine bright in spite of frustration; stories that believe despite defeat; and stories that accomplish a purpose.

Failure. Success. Faith. These three words define the entirety of the book. It gives me the privilege to reach out to people I don’t know but ultimately serve as a paradigm of my self-esteem. It teaches me not to back down and live in faith and anew, in justice.

• Failure. A life with failure is inevitable. Indeed, there are stories in this book that stress what life would certainly mean with disappointment. However, this book also teaches me that amid every failure is a better vision of success. It taught me that life is not absurd but fair.

• Success. This sweet word is tantamount to the warmest joy after an ailing condition. 40 Stories of Passion made me realize that success doesn’t equate money, fame and power. It made me consider that a complete, simple and happy family is a blessing from God.

• Faith. To learn from the trials and joys of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Mike Velarde, Tony Meloto, Sr. Pilar Verzosa, Maria Socorro Cancio or famously known as Nanay Coring and other “ordinary” people is a blessing for me, since they triggered me not to back down from greater odds of today. Doubtless, they are living testament that life is a matter of choice — that no matter how ordinary you were born, you can make your life extraordinarily beautiful. Just have faith in God and yourself.

40 Stories of Passion not only allowed me to take a peek into the lives of 40 inspiring personalities but also taught me that one book can change a man’s life forever. It took me 40 days to finish the book but it provided me new, fruitful chapters of my life. It is by chance that I met this book and claimed it as mine, but it is my hope that it will empower more people in the days to come.

THIS WEEK’S WINNER

Edward Nicko Garcia is a fourth year BS Nursing student of University of Makati and is a member of the Youth for Family and Life. He considers writing as his first love profession. He enjoys reading inspirational as well as fictional books, “although I also love non-fiction stories.”