On the 5th of February in the literary club "Peroto" Valentina Dimitrova’s "The Philippines – 7 Lessons of the Heart" was officially presented.
Its editor is Maria Filipova, whereas the original cover is made by the painter Marian Vutov. Amongst the many guests at the event was also the Philippines’ Consul in Bulgaria, Mr. Ognyan Trayanov.
Even for a traveler such as Valentina, setting off to the far away archipelago turned out to be a challenge. When all known methods fail, one family turns to the unknown as to a last resort and chance for their daughter’s recovery. The cry for help reaches the author, and faith sets in motion its unexpected script. And so, only 24 hours before the flight to Manila, Valentina already has a ticket to the country of healers.
Even after all unexpected events, twists and turns in the story of their travel she still believes that a certain Higher order directs and sets way for the important people, meetings and events in our lives. "What I went through in the Philippines gave me the reliance and trust in the hardest truth to accept: that everything that comes our way, comes for our good." – says the writer. She adds: "Today I can surely say that pain is a cry for joy, loneliness – for love, silence – for sharing, darkness – for light, grey – for colour, weakness – for strength, boredom – for inspiration, and crossroads – for a road."
"The Philippines – Seven Lessons of the Heart" isn’t just a travel book, it isn’t just a description of the Philippine healers. It is a tale for the invisible fine gold threads of our healing, which we must pull out of the thread ball of our own destiny and which, sometimes, we break ourselves.
The plot of the book is lined with powerful human stories and lives.
Valentina Dimitrova shares that - "The biggest miracle of the Philippines are the people that live in that incredibly beautiful country. Long ago they came to the insight that helping people is a gift and when you do it you repay God and the Universe for everything they gave you. The warm smiles, nurturing goodness and compassion of the Filipinos made me feel at home in a country that was unknown to me until that moment. Today, the people I met and got to know there, are already and irreplaceable part of the capsule named "joy" which the capricious Faith created for me."
According to her, when it comes to the Philippines, God, nature and men have created a harmony because of which she names the archipelago "Geography of happiness".
Photo: personal archive of Vadina Cekova
