21! 21 years nagantay si daddy Archie kay mommy Amy sa langit at ngayon ay magkasama na sila. To illustrate how long that was, in daddy’s wake I borrowed the Video Camera of Tito Siso (the youngest brother of daddy), I laid down all his photos on the chairs at his wake, took a video of it and then played it back in a small TV I brought in the chapel. Hindi pa uso ang tarpaulin noon, pinagtagpi-tagpi ko ang pictures ni Daddy in a frame and placed it on top of his coffin. Now, I just emailed all the photos and the chapel created the video in a USB, there is already an LED TV ready to play plus may tarpaulin na and a framed photo.
This gave me more time to create this Online Wake and organize Daily Novena Masses. Kailangan din natin lahat magadjust into an online wake because of the struggles of the Pandemic, saka kalat kalat na ang mga kamag anak at kaibigan ni Mommy sa buong mundo. Hmm! I may be starting a new trend here, well except for Online Masses which is just a temporary way to adapt to the quarantine. Thank you Daddy for waiting 21 years for Mommy.
Last October, when we first confirmed in the Emergency Room that she had a fractured hip my sister and I cried outside the E.R. because the doctor said to prepare ourselves for the worst. Only a few elderly survive a hip fracture and much worse she already had mild Pneumonia. This Pneumonia never left her and what caused her death. For so many months it was a roller coaster ride, in and out of ICU. Our faith that mommy taught us gave us hope to pray for a miracle but at the same time the strength to prepare for the worst.
Long before the accident, mommy used to ask us how she would die. She prayed she would die in her sleep, but we doubt that because the doctor said she has a heart of a teenager. In her death bed, she sort of got what she prayed for, although the caregiver said the doctor keeps waking her up once in a while to ask how she is. Because of the pandemic, visitors are not allowed in the hospital and we were just monitoring her through video call. When the doctor declared her dead at 6pm, we rushed to the hospital and within 20 minutes we were at her bedside saying good bye to Mommy Amy. Mommy still got the happy death we all pray for, like St. Joseph’s, that we die peacefully with family at our bedside.
21 years ago, in my Eulogy to Daddy, I mentioned how Daddy taught us to be good providers. Mommy naman taught us “Aruga” and to have a deep faith in God. Until the end she used something in her life to make us closer to God, after so many months since before the ECQ started in March I finally partake of the body and blood of Christ at her wake. We hope she was able to share her faith to you through her life or even now at her death.
Mommy Amy taught us to have faith in God that even though Mommy was in the Hospital since October and now at her burial I am not worried about finances because she taught us God will provide. When she had cancer, dumating ang inheritance ng kapatid niya which buffered the blow of the expenses of her alternative treatment. Ayaw na nya pa-opera, but by a miracle the cancer in her kidneys disappeared. This was after a healing nun prayed over her.
Ngayon with this accident, her being a WWII veteran helped cover for her hospital bills. Timely naman na nabenta 2 years ago ang isang property ni Daddy sa side niya. Upto the end Daddy was the great provider. Nagtabi si mommy ng pera just for this kind of emergency at para hindi na kami magaalala saan kukuha ng pera. Kaya kahit ilang buwan sya sa hospital, we were able to provide anything she needs, she can afford to have a 24 hour caregiver which was required in the hospital and other things to make her comfortable during this painful period. Things we cannot give her without that money from Daddy. We would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and caregivers who took care of mommy. We also would like to express our outmost appreciation to VMMC’s Asst. Director Dr. Franklin Gali who were our angel during mommy’s confinement. He even made himself available 24×7, even holidays, and made mommy’s journey more comfortable and bearable. And to my sister’s childhood close friend, Louise Gilbuela for being an instrument in introducing us and favorably endorsing us to her brother-in-law, Dr. Gali.
My sister said hanggang January na lang and pinatago sa kanya ni mommy mauubos na para sa caregiver. I was not worried meron pa din natitira sa savings account nya plus may pension pa sya as a veteran. Kaya pa naming kahit ilang buwan. Pero mommy maybe seeing another toll on us, I lost 20 lbs since she was hospitalized last October and lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin na magpalakas when ever nakakatakas kami makadalaw sa kanya sa hospital. I cannot hide the emotional stress this is bringing to us kaya upto the end. Tingin ko kami pa rin ang iniisip ni Mommy kaya hindi na niya pinatagal.
The money na nakabuffer sa akin plus the funeral plan was just enough to cover all her funeral bills. During the wake, all your financial support help pay for the other expenses and for settling her affairs. In the end, as mommy taught us to have faith in God, He provides. God gave us just enough so mommy will be comfortable, although she was in pain at the hospital. God gave us enough so we can say good bye to mommy wonderfully without any financial headaches. I pray that I am as lucky as my mother in being blessed whenever I will go through expensive sicknesses. But I would not take that risk, at this early I am already planning for the expensive health expenses after retirement. Looking back, we could have spent at least PhP 8 Million for her health bills after her retirement.
Kaya in behalf of my sister and our families, we would like extend our deepest pasasalamat to everyone for your financial support, your prayers, sa mga pari na nagmisa kay mommy para i-welcome sya sa langit. Salamat at nabuo ko ang daily novena masses. For us, the mass is the highest form of prayer and we had more than enough of that for mommy’s welcome into heaven. We even have an extra mass on the 2nd week of Mommy’s Death which is a fitting close to her online wake.
Lastly, I would like to share a little secret of mommy. She has an inferiority complex in her cooking. She said, she was the one who studied home economics but her cooking was nothing compared to her sister and her cousins. Pero sa sharing ng mga kaibigan ng sister ko during Day 1 Novena Mass ang sabi nilang mamimiss nila sa mommy nila ay yung luto niyang spaghetti, barbeque, kare-kare, etc.. Siguro sinasabi ni Mommy sa langit, at last may nakagusto ng aking mga luto. Ako din ay mamimiss ko ang mga luto nya, ganyan sya mag Aruga.
Maraming salamat sa inyo na kahit tayo ay nasa pandemic ay nakapagpaalam tayo mabuti kay mommy. Tinanong nga ako ng anak ko, ilan ang nagmamahal kay lola? Sabi ko, just look at the likes and the comments in her online wake. Sabi niya, “Wow! That is how many people who loves lola?” Kaya taos puso po kaming nagpapasalamat sa inyong lahat sa inyong mga tulong at dasal. Sa inyong lahat na nagmamahal at nagpaalam kay Mommy Amy.
Will always remember Tita Mely as a gentle, generous beautiful soul in and out..
May she and Tito Archie be in heavenly peace with our God the Father
My deepest heartfelt condolences to the family….May her soul rest in peace…Its my pleasure to serve u in hospital until u discharge being as ur Caregiver in a short period of time na magkasama tau i know ur a kind-hearted to everyone npakabuti mong Mommy sa mga anak mo base in ur story to me about ur family its so full of memories… Please continue to guides and protect ur Children & Grandchildren….We Miss you and Loves youMommy AmyAmen
Paalam na tita melia salamat sa mga payo at tulong sa akin nong nag kasakit ako dinalhan mo pa ako ng divine mercy booklet s pgh sabi mo baby lagi kng mag dadasal mamimiss po kita
Salamat