Au revoir

Ate Helen will be leaving for Cebu soon. When she invited me to dinner with other Lisieux members at Glorietta last week, I did not think twice. I immediately said, “Yes, I’ll be there.” This was kind of unusual since I rarely go out at night. But in this case, I did not have any qualms in meeting them.

Ate Helen was the Minister (President) when I entered Lisiuex in 1997. During my second year as a member, she chose me to be part of the outreach committee (she was the head). It was the committee assigned in the preparation for the annual concert. In the middle of the school year, she entrusted the position to Mej and me due to her unexpected busy schedule. Nakakatuwang isipin that she believed in us even though we were just a couple of new members. With her guidance, the concert that year went well.

There was a time when I was pondering if I would attend the Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) or not. So I asked for a sign – that someone would give me yellow flower/s. The night before the registration date she dropped by our house and gave me a bunch of yellow mums, she said, it was for good luck for the coming exam week. It was my sign. I attended the LSS and was blessed.

After graduation, she took time to reply to my questions regarding faith. She sent me long emails explaining the answers to my questions. Last August, she passed the Medical Board Exam and will be going to Cebu next week to live there permanently (?).

I would just like to write this down because I wanted to remember things. From high school through College, there are three people whom I would always remember for their kindness: Sr. Yel, Kuya Ram and Ate Helen. I hope I would be able to meet the other two in the future.

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The above entry was written a few days ago.

We had dinner at Cafe Bola located at Greenbelt 3. Siyempre we have pictures :)

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In a matter of three weeks, four people I know died.

The father of my former boss died of massive heart attack last August 28; the person who used to hold the position I am currently occupying died of cancer of the pancreas last September 1; the owner of the sari-sari store in front of my former boarding house died of heart attack last September 4 and just last Friday, my former math teacher died of diabetes.

My initial thought was, “Gosh, people are leaving.”

We Christians were assured when the Son ascended to heaven that death is not the end but rather the beginning of life with the Creator. In the article entitled, “The Secret of the Poor Souls in Purgatory,” Maria Simma of Austria, having given the chance to communicate with these souls, once asked them if they would rather go back to earth to gain enough (goodness) to cleanse their souls. They answered, “No,” because they have seen the greatness of God’s love and would never even want to be away from it again.

I am not sad that they died. My sadness belongs to those who were left behind. I am glad that finally they would be able to meet the one true perfect and wonderful God in the glory of His paradise.

Looking forward to meeting you there. :)

Eternal Rest grant unto them O Lord
And let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace... Amen.

~~~

Sorry, pero umiinit na ang ulo ko.
it's already 1 in the morning and I am still here in the office, finishing something.
And it's not even my event.

So tired.