From Great Dreams and Fantasies into Real Scenes

At the time of President Fidel V. Ramos, my parents, Noel and Jeck, together with my elder sister Angelica, rushed to the Makati Medical Center on May 22, 1995. A baby girl named Chelsi Ann V. Cruz was born and that is me! I was given a nickname “Chen-Chen” by my parents. My beloved grandmother who I usually called “Inang” often called me “tsen-tsen.” How I wish I could still be with her.

            I was raise in a family who has a simple life yet I still feel like a princess. I never felt that we are encountering difficulties when I was a kid. At an early age of six, I knew God already. I can say that I have a great relationship with Him. My childhood was not that extravagant yet memorable! When I was eight, I learned how to prove myself to my parents. Why? Because I became a Nestle Scholar and that was the first time ever in my life that I experienced to be recognized in front of a lot of people. The day I got hospitalized when I was in my sixth grade of studying due to my asthma attack made me realize that when difficulties happen, the real soldiers are my family, friends and our great leader, our Heavenly Father, they made me feel that in our own castle, they will not let anyone or anything harm their princess. A bittersweet moment happened in my fourteenth birthday celebration, I was happy that my relatives came to our house to celebrate with us. After that, my grandmother was rushed to the hospital. If I am not mistaken, it is about 11:30 in the evening, when I knew that she died. Our castle was about to fall but we know that the King will not let my father feel alone. He let us realize that in times of great trouble, we will still be one. God gave strength to our family to handle the situation. A great flash of lightning awakened me two years ago. The storm that terrified us let us work to our castle. The day when the chariot of the king was stranded, he was forced to look after it. My father left us with his promise that he will be right back. As the hours pass by, my sister and I, together with my cousins, Andrei and Alekhine, played Uno cards while making fun of each other. I remember when Kuya Alek said that “hintayin natin pumasok yung tubig sa bahay bago tayo magakyat ng gamit” , it really made us laugh. Suddenly, the flood enters our house! We panicked a lot to save our appliances and also ourselves from the snake that we saw! That made a great traumatic experience to me. The night passed yet my father is not around. Our phones had no charge and the only thing that we can do is to pray. The next morning is a great day! The king was able to go back! It made our castle be enlightened again in the midst of disaster. We had a united team that made our general cleaning to our house easy and fun. From that day on, our castle is always ready for a plague.  Prayer is our number one armor and also, we do not forget that each of us should be responsible and independent enough to be prepared all the time. Now I may say that we have moved on and our castle is reigning within our hearts.

this is my eldest sister, Angelica :)

the picture above is my father, noel :D

A happy and strong harmony inside our home was the product of the wars that our castle overcame.  Now I am fifteen, I learned how to deal with different people, make friends and be independent. From a princess way back ten tears ago, now a queen in my own life trying to build and rule my castle.