"Nestor Mata is a unique good fellow who does not seem to grow old. He refuses to be like an oldie fighting a losing battle against the irreversibility of time. Rather, he rides on the crest of time’s rhythm with his expanding hopes and dreams.

The doubts and fears stay with those who just let so many sunrises and sun downs pass them by. Nestor sees a new beginning in every dawn. He finds fulfillment when dusk falls.

"In Nestor’s life, gaining years is not the same as getting older. Rather, it is an expansion of his totality as a person. It is like wine whose substance is enriched by time.

"The fire of youth is still there. The heat it generates does not burn, but it gives warmth and hope. The capacity to be outraged by incompetence and corruption in government has not subsided at all. Instead, it becomes contagious by the sheer force of its consistency.

"His pen has been shaped by the discipline of his Dominican training in the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas and refined by his intimate understanding of the tragic sense of life. The sharpness of his mind is tempered by the simplicity of his heart.

"Long before the world got trapped in the web of Information Technology, Nestor had seen first hand the landscape of the Global Village in his on-site reportage of international events, wars, and interviews with Asian and other world leaders and personalities. While many could see only scattered dots, he could visualize unseen connections. He has a gift for sensing hidden nuances and ramifications.

"Call him a ‘Renaissance Man’ for his passion for the arts, his pursuit of the limits of the intellect, his familiarity with the voices of history, his understanding of the dynamics of politics, both local and international, and his insight into the essentials of transformative political leadership, among others. But Nestor is beyond level.

"He is childlike to the core. He is compassionate. He never stops being outraged by blatant injustice. Each new day is a fresh beginning. Every encounter with a fresh soul is an Epiphany.

"For all the mileage, there is no sign of wear and tear. Instead there seems to be a continuous renewal of that energy that can come only from the creator of all the atoms in the universe.

"The woods will always be lovely, dark and deep for Nestor. There are ‘promises to keep and miles to go’ before the final sunset."

After reading this lexiphanes-like letter, I got the impression that he considers me a "bel esprit," one with graceful wit, which, I must say in all humility, I am not. And neither am I a "philodox," one who thinks that everything he says or writes is always right. I’m simply one who has dedicated the better part of his life as a newsman of more than six decades now, obedient only to one cardinal law of journalism, and that is to tell the truth and shame the devil!

I thank my "Adoring Friend" with all my heart for his letter that reads like a preface for a living biography, and sounds like a song of praise to a journalist whose deadline draws near.

***

Every time I celebrate my birthday, dear friends often asked me how I managed to stay young, Here’s my secret:

Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. An idle mind, as they say, is the devil’s workshop. And the devil’s name is Alzheimer’s.

Enjoy simple things.

Laugh often, long and hard. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

Surround yourself with what you love, whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.