A Quick Family Bonding in Gumasa

WHEN MY sister who now lives in Bulacan went home to celebrate her birthday with us, we decided to take a trip to the white sand beaches of Gumasa in the town of Glan here in Sarangani Province. The whole family was there to share the fun. And there I realized that we are indeed a bunch of laughaholics, or, since we were in Gumasa, laughaholic beach bums.

I facilitated a leadership camp that Friday so I wasn’t able to go with them. I just drove to Gumasa on my motorcycle with my niece in the backseat. It was drizzling when we left Alabel at around 7PM. I imagined that it was going to be a difficult drive given the road to Gumasa has a series of uphill and downhill portions and curves that almost make full circles. But I survived it. I reached the destination, Coco Beach, about an hour later.

They already had dinner when we arrived but there were still food on the table. I ate a lot of shrimps and didn’t mind if I’d get allergies afterwards. Gladly, I didn’t have an episode of endless scratching that night.

HAPPY FAMILY. We’re one BIG happy family. My mother is glad to see us having fun together.

Each time the family gathers, we usually share funny anecdotes culled from the past. No matter how many times we’ve heard those stories, we still laugh our hearts out like we did the first time we heard them. We get a laugh even from embarrassing past events. Or, should I say that the embarrassing ones get the loudest laughter.

We rented a cottage to spend the night. They also bought a dome tent, which I preferred. As the night went deeper, yawns started to become contagious and everyone decided to sleep. They went back to the cottage, while I stayed in the tent I pitched near the shore.

There weren’t many people at the resort that night. So it was peaceful. Very much unlike the last time I visited it. I watched the gentle waves as they crush to the shore with a rhythmic melody that slowly lulled me into dreamland. Inasmuch as I want to spend more time feeling the cool breeze, I drifted into slumber.

I woke to the sound of a piece of cloth fluttering in the wind. I did not mind it and went back to sleep until I felt that I was slowly getting wet from rain water dripping through the vent at the top of the tent. I failed to install the rainfly. So, I had to join them in the cottage.

I woke up early the next day to enjoy the water. There was much driftwood on the shore that marred the pristine white sand. Despite that, the view of the cove was still breathtaking.

THE HORIZON. The tranquil blue sea is a perfect sight for someone who wants to relax.

THREE OF A KIND. Small, medium, large, my nephews observe the crashing waves.

More pictures were taken that morning. And who would forget the jump shots?

JUMP FOR JOY. My sisters and my nieces enjoy the jump. Didn’t Galileo say that regardless of the mass, all objects will fall at the same rate?

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. My sister is an environmentalist indeed. She was able to turn this trash into something useful–a frame for her photo.

MARINE BIOLOGIST IN THE MAKING. This nephew of mine is so fond of animals, especially those that live in water. He proudly showed me this tiny creature he found on the shore.

PLAYFUL. My nephew plays a shokoy, a mythical sea creature in Philippine folklore.

I went home earlier than the rest of my family because I had to go back to the leadership camp where I was the facilitator. The mishap that happened to my tent the night before, the rain, and the long drive home might have gotten me tired, but that short I have spent with my family in Gumasa made me exceedingly inspired.

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