“Cacayan expresses poetically the importance of remaining connected with one’s roots helps to preserve our cultural heritage, and promotes a sense of community and shared identity”
Recognizing and celebrating the goodness in life is a powerful way to foster gratitude, positivity, and happiness.
Whether we choose to acknowledge the small pleasures in our daily routine or take the time to appreciate the people and experiences that bring us joy, celebrating the goodness in life can help us maintain a positive outlook and feel more content.
By focusing on the positive aspects of our lives, we can also develop greater resilience and a deeper sense of purpose and meaning.
Celebrating life’s goodness can take various forms, from expressing our gratitude to others to engaging in activities that enrich our lives.
Ultimately, it is a way to honor and cherish the beauty and richness of the world around us.
In the book “So Much Goodness . . . Stories and Thoughts in My Life Journey,” Bert Cacayan gives us a glimpse of the author’s struggles and triumphs towards becoming a better person and achieving a full life.
The book is a composite of essays, poems letters, parables, and stories celebrating goodness.
For purposes of this review, I divide the book into two parts, namely, the first part is a collection of poems reflecting the author’s beliefs, principles, and feelings on a variety of subjects.
The second part is an anthology of literary pieces featuring selected friends who touched and contributed to enriching his life.
In the first part of this two-part series, I will focus more on the poems and other literary pieces of the book which Bert Cacayan composed during his bout with COVID 19.
The First part of the book is a collection, an anthology, of poems about the author’s innermost thoughts, reflections, and musings about life, hope, and deepest emotions.
In these first chapters of the book, the author expresses in the form of poetry deep emotions about life and hope, experiences, whether positive or negative, as navigates the journey of life.
Through his words, these poems touch on various aspects of human existence, including the challenges faced, the moments of joy, and the quest for fulfillment.
They provide a powerful reminder of the human ability to overcome adversity and to find hope even in the midst of despair, bringing to light the beauty that can be found in life’s complexities.
Amidst all this, the author verbalizes in a poetic form and prose, how goodness triumphs.
One of the poems is titled – Be Humble Yet Be Brave – which is bravely and courageously turning into something positive all challenges, all adversities and negativities that we are faced with.
As the cliché says – when life gives you lemons, learn to make lemonade.
Life can be full of struggles, and it’s easy to become jaded and cynical.
However, some individuals manage to remain humble and good, despite the difficulties they face.
They understand that life can be hard, but they don’t allow it to define them or change their character.
Instead, they remain committed to doing what is right, even when it’s not easy.
They recognize that everyone is fighting their own battles and that kindness and understanding can go a long way.
By staying humble and good, these individuals inspire others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of positivity and hope in the world.
In another literary work, Detachment is the Ultimate Sacrifice, Cacayan extols the virtue of detachment from worldliness as the most profound form of sacrifice.
Choosing to live a life that is not centered around these things can also be seen as a form of sacrifice, as it may involve giving up certain opportunities or experiences that are highly sought after by others.
For example, someone who chooses to pursue a career in the arts or in social work may not make as much money as someone who works in finance or law.
Similarly, someone who chooses to live a simple life in a remote area may not have access to the luxuries and conveniences that many people take for granted.
However, for the author, the rewards of life without fame and fortune can be just as valuable, if not more so.
In the poem of Roots and You, Cacayan expresses poetically the importance of remaining connected with one’s roots helps to preserve one’s cultural heritage, and promotes a sense of community and shared identity, which can be very important for individuals and society as a whole.
Staying connected can also help us to understand ourselves better.
By learning about our family history, for example, we can gain insights into our own personality traits, strengths, and weaknesses.
The second part of the book, which we shall feature in the second part of the series, Cacayan gives a collection of stories about friends and other close associates who touched his life in the course of life’s journey.