My beloved grandfather passed away last week. It was shocking news for the whole family because
it was a sudden death – on the same day my younger brother celebrated his 25th
birthday. For my younger brother, his every birthday would always be a blessing
and a remembrance of our once beloved Lolo
Tasing.
Just this weekend, on the night before his funeral, I was
informed that he had barely four years to live – and our family was grateful
that he started spending those remaining 4 years with our family – where he
felt that he is loved and taken cared of. (I’ve been watching his video taken
when we got our first home, when he helped out painting even with his crane,
where he winked and danced and smiled and laughed and joked around. He was sooo
alive in that video!)
He was a fun-loving, young at heart (he often says he’s just
16 years old!), free-spirited old man.
He once dreamed to be a lawyer.
He got awarded in Malacanang Palace for his good works in our local
baranggay in Bacolod City. He drafted a
bill in the Congress and had it approved in order to protect the environment
and fishery in Samar, Leyte. (How I wish
I can have a copy of that bill!)
Those are his social achievements – and I’ve just known them
within the last couple of years. For all
those years that I’m growing up, his best achievement for me was being someone
who encourages me to study hard, someone who rewards me whenever I get honors
in school (this is always the best part as a kid!). He never failed to let me know how happy he
is for having me as his granddaughter – and he never failed to make me feel
good. He filled me with love and lessons
that can always be learned at the foot of an elderly.
His death taught me that:
Presence
provides comfort. As most of you know, I am currently working abroad. I wasn’t at home to give comfort to my family,
specially to my Mama (Lolo is her father).
Presence is always necessary – and being thousand miles away from home,
wherein I also needed comfort, is the saddest fact that I have to endure.
Time is
priceless. If you have the chance to say “I love you” now, then do it NOW!
I’m glad we made him feel loved during those years he was with us – that he was
able to experience what a family would feel like. I’m happy that I was able to hear his voice a
week before his sudden death. I was able
to joke around and laugh with him during that phone conversation. (I never realised that it was going to be the
last chance I would talk to him.)
Laugh
everyday. Being a free-spirited man, my Lolo taught me that every seconds
in life should be spent with a heart of gratitude and laughters.
Thank you to everyone who prayed for our family during our
moment of grief.
Always,
Lyn-Lyn \(“,)/
Lyn-Lyn \(“,)/
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