Hello, welcome to the special edition of Greg’s InsighTalk. This video will bring you an insight into celebrating a personal milestone in a more meaningful way. We celebrate our personal milestones in various ways that will bring us happiness and great memories. Others just let it pass as an ordinary day for some reason. But I celebrated my 50^th year of existence by making a little difference with my family. We visited the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-du-Beaupre in Quebec.

For such a blessing of life, I am grateful first to GOD, the source of our energy and provisions for our worldly and spiritual existence. He moulds me into who I am today and is always on my side to guide me to a brighter tomorrow to be a better person (Who Am I – song background). Second, through the ups and downs of my life journey, my wife and kids are always with me, inspiring and keeping me going through the most challenging times. Finally, I am thankful to everyone with whom I have interacted and socialized within the past 50 years: my parents and siblings, relatives, friends and acquaintances, co-workers and other people I have encountered and will be encountering in my life journey ahead.

Through photo slides, let me share my memories of the past five decades. Unfortunately, my photos were minimal during childhood because we seldom did them or we had no opportunity to do them. Here is a slide presentation of several pictures of yesteryear I have. It partly speaks of my story and demonstrates who I was back then.

Anyway, the planning for my 50^th birthday took a year. Supposedly, I  must be in my home province in Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, to plant trees with the Indigenous people – the Mangyans. I consulted volunteer groups and government agencies; however, time and costs did not permit it. Nevertheless, considering those challenges along the way, God made it possible. My project of planting at least 50 trees happened through a friend who coordinated to realize such a plan: a way of giving back to Mother Earth. Fifty trees cannot replace the trees I consumed or expended in the past fifty years, or such trees will not even suffice for what I will be using for more years ahead; for example, paper products, pieces of furniture I used, and the house that sheltered me and my family, the oxygen they supply for me to breathe, among other benefits from them. Nevertheless, next is the video presentation of the tree-planting activity at the Catholic church property in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines.

Simultaneously in Canada, my family and I and our two cousins had a road trip about 750 km East of our residence to explore the European-inspired old city of Quebec. Along the way, we enjoy seeing the places we pass by and every stop before arriving at our destination. We both had good and challenging experiences. Quebec City has historic and exquisite beauty. However, as a tourist destination, we had not experienced a warm welcome and hospitality from the locals or residents compared to the places I had been. Learning about other cultures was a good experience in such a historical part of Canada. At the same time, discerning the meaning of the locals’ social behaviours and exploring why they behave the way they do gave me a  profound understanding of who they are.

Well, enjoy several snapshots and video collections during a thrilling golden birthday tour around Quebec City, a piece of Europe in North Eastern Canada.

Now, there are a few things I want to share with you that challenge us all in our times: the materialistic and individualistic world. First, let us strengthen our faith in God, and we can see the difference in our life. We are just passing in this world. Second, reconnect with our natural environment: Mother Earth. Let us all work together to rekindle our relationship with our natural environment, thus regenerating the home for humanity. Third, travel to different places if you can or have the chance to get away from life’s ordinary routine. Both rekindling or relationship with the natural environment and tavelling to different places will allow us to have a higher consciousness of our existence. Fourth, continue to find our purpose in life and do what we are passionate about but with compassion for humanity and God’s creation. Finally, let us not be trapped in material cultures and social or technological slavery that blurr our purpose in life. Submit ourselves to our Creator to find our goal and live meaningfully.

I give special thanks to Armie Mijares-Castillo and her children, parish priest Reverend Father Marlon Labay: Divine Saviour Parish of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, Philippines, my nephew JB and other volunteers. To realize my golden birthday project, you are all God’s instruments to such Green Earth project, a birthday tree-planting advocacy.

Thank you for watching Greg’s Insightalk. See you next time.