March 8 was International Women’s Day.  Wednesday March 9 was a beautiful reminder of what International Women’s day was about.

I was recently invited by a fellow southerner and batchmate of my sister, Martha Orosa Uy, to spend an afternoon with her and a few ladies (we were a total of 50 that day) to listen to inspiring stories that lift the spirit and learn from the varied experiences of the speakers that day.    It was a coming together of women who want to be inspired in their lives in a TEDtalk kind of way.

Martha Orosa Uy, together with 9 other ladies formed an informal group called BIG last December 2015 , an acronym for Build, Inspire and Give whose mission statement is to “start a revolution where stories are shared and entrusted to others so we may understand and become better versions of ourselves, whether that’s being a mother, wife, friend, sister  or boss or employee” .  Empowering oneself through sharing life experiences is a result of a woman’s wisdom gained from the community she lives and participates in.  What a beautiful thought to live one’s life isnt it?

Empowerment is a catchphrase you didn’t hear in the past few decades until only recently.   An issue more relevant than ever, woman empowerment simply means to live our lives freely with a sense of self worth, respect and dignity, to make their own informed choices and decisions and to have control of her life both within and outside the home and workplace. This being the foundation of which the group is formed, every month, a theme is selected, and resource speakers are invited to share their experiences and expertise based on the theme of the month.  December was The Greatest Gift, January was New Beginnings, February was about Love You, Love Me , and March is So, what do you do?

The first speaker was Ambassador of the Philippines to New Zealand, Virginia Benavides who shared with us the struggles, the highs and lows, and how the unshakable Filipino spirit of  bayanihan, faith and love for her country has enriched and carried her through her diplomatic life.  Her personal story of being assigned to Brunei was her most difficult and rewarding posting due to the strict compliance of the Muslim laws  prohibiting her from practicing her faith publicly.  Despite this hindrance, her faith became stronger as it challenged her to live it out and put it into practice which validated her and her job as a diplomat.

One of her tasks is to see to it that the welfare of the Filipino community is protected and looked after by them when they are oppressed, abused and taken advantage of.  She dreams (I certainly agree with her on this one), that one day the Philippine government will no longer rely on our people to look for better opportunities abroad to support their families.   Filipinos who work abroad are highly treasured and in demand by employers mainly because they give and serve to the best of their abilities. Values of family, respect, hard work and our faith makes us resilient in the face of adversity inspite of the difficult social, physical and economic circumstances they endure being in a strange land.

The second speaker was Pastor Benjamin Cruz, National Director of Living Waters Ministry who shared his story of personal struggle between his sexuality and serving the Lord.   His inner conflict stems from his suppression so he can live his life according to the dictates and norms of society.  Now married to his wife Hazel,   his epiphany came when he was shifting ministries to avoid being caught in his secret and that he cannot practice his faith due to this hindrance that was preventing him to be his truthful self.  He found his truth in the humblest of ways in the eyes of children in a game of ping pong.    The Lord always presents himself in the most simplest manner, this time Life Lesson 101 mirroring himself and speaking from the heart with love.

Pastor Cruz became my Aha moment.  As a wife, mother, sister and friend   the different hats we wear in our lives is the layer that makes us beautifully flawed and complicated, resilient and vulnerable, simple and complicated, to become the best in what we need to do in the situation or to do what is expected of us.  Isnt this the virtue of being human?  We are shaped by our circumstances, childhood and environment, “We are all broken, we just play it differently”, well said by Pastor Cruz.

The afternoon mood was artistically complemented by Marilen Espiritu, one of the founding members of the group whose creative genius raised my bar in the hosting aspect.  Coming into her sprawling home, the scene captured the essence of what a woman is, a  life fulfilled and expressed in her art form which is entertaining.  God is truly in the details, Here’s why.

Truly a sight for all the senses, the beautiful spread laid out for us made the afternoon very special despite the unforgiving heat.  It was a meaningful afternoon, I left with the feeling like I came from a spiritual retreat, your mind is clear, your spirit refreshed and invigorated, you gained a new perspective.  Gratitude in my heart.

You may follow B. I. G. in Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/936541133106195/  Meetings are held once a month and is by invitation only.