eulogy for lola
lola passed away on september 15, 2010 on the feast of our lady of sorrows at the age of 89, the last of my ancestors.
i was tasked to give eulogy in honor of lola before my family, relatives and friends. delivered on the 17th of this month, this eulogy runs as follows:
I’ve always known Lola as a good cook. It’s one of the many things, I believe, she was good at. Sobrang tagal na po since the last time I’ve tasted the food she personally cooked. I miss so much her beef stew, kilayin, her Chinese adobo, and the perfect asim of her sinigang. She takes pride in cooking, because I know, she cooks for others. She likes feeding her loved ones.
And this, perhaps, is the core of my sharing tonight, how Lola, in all her life, fed us all.
Lola, in the literal sense, fed us. Madalas po, di naming gusto ang ulam, tatakbo kay Lola sa kabilang bahay at doon po kami kakain. Syempre po, tuwang tuwa sa Lola dahil gusto naming kumain sa kanya sabay kutya kay mommy (sorry, ma!) And so I noticed talagang dinadagdagan niya ang pagluto ng ulam.
Lola fed us, materially. Hindi na po kaila sa inyo na siya ang takbuhan namin pag may mga pangangailangan kami. Most of us judged Lola as stingy… madalas ko po siyang nakikitang nagbibilang pera, every night. Then the following day, she would scold us demanding that we should conserve water, electricity and long-distance telephone usage. Pero kahit po ganito. Never na nagdamot po si Lola. Personally, I am forever indebted of her generosity, how the many times she would give some money to add up in my baon, the thoughtfulness of bringing home pasalubong coming from Manila or from a distant place she’s been, how she has contributed a lot into paying some of my tuition fees in my schooling. I cannot forget the many times po na namalimos sya para lang po may pang-enroll ako. That I am forever grateful.
Lola even fed us, beyond materially. He fed us with values formation. He taught us the value of self-respect and how to be respectable before others. She would never hesitate to correct us. When you did something wrong expect a long and critical scolding or sermon. Mukhang ito po yata ang dahilan kung bakit gusto ko po magpari, para ako naman ang babawi sa kanya sa pag-se-sermon (joke lang po!) Alam na po ng lahat na si Lola, mahilig kumatak… katak nang katak… pag nagsimula nap o sya mantakin nyo po na mukhang hindi na sya matatapos. Madalas po nakakarindi po ang pagkakakatak nya, parang gusto niyong pasakan nang packaging tape yung bibig niya. Pero natiis po namin siya ang mga pagkatak niya. Nasanay na po kami sa kanya. At tanggap po namin na ganun siya. Kaya ngayong wala na si Lola, isa po ito sa mga mami-miss ko sa kanya.
Lola fed us spiritually. She is very instrumental in my faith formation. Madalas po niya akong isama sa house to house block rosary ng Our Lady of Fatima kahit alam po niya na ang pakay ko lang po dun ay kumain. I remember her involving us to the chapel activities every Sunday at San Sebastian. Naging part po ako ng choir at sacristan ako dun. Alam ko po na natutuwa po siya sa pag-serve ko sa diocese, sa cathedral, sa DYCC, sa mga kabataan ng Tarlac. Di ko po makakalimutan yun sinabi niya sa’kin one time, “mamako kang mamako, lagi kang atiu king cathedral, ot e nakamu kaya magpari?” (alis ka nang alis. Lagi ka na lang nasa cathedral. Bakit di ka nalang magpari?) Who would have thought that trivial statement would soon become a reality? Nung una ko pong pina-alam sa kanya na gusto ko pumasok ng seminaryo, nagtaka lang po ako na di niya matanggap nung una. Eventually, she came to accept that. I remember when they accompanied me in my first day at seminary, she cried. And she has been very supportive in my vocation ever since. Every time I went to see her, she kept on asking me, “kapilan ka ma-ordain? Akit da ka pa kaya ma-ordain?” (Kailan ka ma-o-ordain, makikita pa ba kita na ma-o-ordain?)
In all honesty, gusto ko pa po syang mabuhay at least on the day of my ordination. Gusto ko po sana na ako yung magbibigay ng last sacraments sa kanya. Gusto ko po sana ako yung magmimisa at magsesermon sa lamay at libing niya. But now, this is no longer the case.
For sure, she will witness my ordination in heaven. All the while I thought this is the best gift I could give her. Until her last moments… when I visited her at St. Lukes she gave her last habilin… surprisingly, in English. She never talks to me in English, but she gave her last words to me saying, “Rusty, be faithful when you become a priest. Be faithful to Christ.” Until her last moments she kept on teaching me. It’s the best learning I received from her… It is not my ordination that is the best gift for her. Rather, it is my faithfulness to my vocation.
Lola, I will forever treasure this thought. Until I die, my best gift for you is never accomplished, for my faithfulness extends until we see each other again in Heaven. Lola, thank you very, very, very, very, very much. I know and I believe you are resting with God in Heaven, and now we turn to you to pray for us, to intercede for us. As you and Lolo await us in Heaven to organize the grandest reunion of our family. There are no goodbye’s Lola, only “until we all meet again.” We love you, Lola.
i was tasked to give eulogy in honor of lola before my family, relatives and friends. delivered on the 17th of this month, this eulogy runs as follows:
I’ve always known Lola as a good cook. It’s one of the many things, I believe, she was good at. Sobrang tagal na po since the last time I’ve tasted the food she personally cooked. I miss so much her beef stew, kilayin, her Chinese adobo, and the perfect asim of her sinigang. She takes pride in cooking, because I know, she cooks for others. She likes feeding her loved ones.
And this, perhaps, is the core of my sharing tonight, how Lola, in all her life, fed us all.
Lola, in the literal sense, fed us. Madalas po, di naming gusto ang ulam, tatakbo kay Lola sa kabilang bahay at doon po kami kakain. Syempre po, tuwang tuwa sa Lola dahil gusto naming kumain sa kanya sabay kutya kay mommy (sorry, ma!) And so I noticed talagang dinadagdagan niya ang pagluto ng ulam.
Lola fed us, materially. Hindi na po kaila sa inyo na siya ang takbuhan namin pag may mga pangangailangan kami. Most of us judged Lola as stingy… madalas ko po siyang nakikitang nagbibilang pera, every night. Then the following day, she would scold us demanding that we should conserve water, electricity and long-distance telephone usage. Pero kahit po ganito. Never na nagdamot po si Lola. Personally, I am forever indebted of her generosity, how the many times she would give some money to add up in my baon, the thoughtfulness of bringing home pasalubong coming from Manila or from a distant place she’s been, how she has contributed a lot into paying some of my tuition fees in my schooling. I cannot forget the many times po na namalimos sya para lang po may pang-enroll ako. That I am forever grateful.
Lola even fed us, beyond materially. He fed us with values formation. He taught us the value of self-respect and how to be respectable before others. She would never hesitate to correct us. When you did something wrong expect a long and critical scolding or sermon. Mukhang ito po yata ang dahilan kung bakit gusto ko po magpari, para ako naman ang babawi sa kanya sa pag-se-sermon (joke lang po!) Alam na po ng lahat na si Lola, mahilig kumatak… katak nang katak… pag nagsimula nap o sya mantakin nyo po na mukhang hindi na sya matatapos. Madalas po nakakarindi po ang pagkakakatak nya, parang gusto niyong pasakan nang packaging tape yung bibig niya. Pero natiis po namin siya ang mga pagkatak niya. Nasanay na po kami sa kanya. At tanggap po namin na ganun siya. Kaya ngayong wala na si Lola, isa po ito sa mga mami-miss ko sa kanya.
Lola fed us spiritually. She is very instrumental in my faith formation. Madalas po niya akong isama sa house to house block rosary ng Our Lady of Fatima kahit alam po niya na ang pakay ko lang po dun ay kumain. I remember her involving us to the chapel activities every Sunday at San Sebastian. Naging part po ako ng choir at sacristan ako dun. Alam ko po na natutuwa po siya sa pag-serve ko sa diocese, sa cathedral, sa DYCC, sa mga kabataan ng Tarlac. Di ko po makakalimutan yun sinabi niya sa’kin one time, “mamako kang mamako, lagi kang atiu king cathedral, ot e nakamu kaya magpari?” (alis ka nang alis. Lagi ka na lang nasa cathedral. Bakit di ka nalang magpari?) Who would have thought that trivial statement would soon become a reality? Nung una ko pong pina-alam sa kanya na gusto ko pumasok ng seminaryo, nagtaka lang po ako na di niya matanggap nung una. Eventually, she came to accept that. I remember when they accompanied me in my first day at seminary, she cried. And she has been very supportive in my vocation ever since. Every time I went to see her, she kept on asking me, “kapilan ka ma-ordain? Akit da ka pa kaya ma-ordain?” (Kailan ka ma-o-ordain, makikita pa ba kita na ma-o-ordain?)
In all honesty, gusto ko pa po syang mabuhay at least on the day of my ordination. Gusto ko po sana na ako yung magbibigay ng last sacraments sa kanya. Gusto ko po sana ako yung magmimisa at magsesermon sa lamay at libing niya. But now, this is no longer the case.
For sure, she will witness my ordination in heaven. All the while I thought this is the best gift I could give her. Until her last moments… when I visited her at St. Lukes she gave her last habilin… surprisingly, in English. She never talks to me in English, but she gave her last words to me saying, “Rusty, be faithful when you become a priest. Be faithful to Christ.” Until her last moments she kept on teaching me. It’s the best learning I received from her… It is not my ordination that is the best gift for her. Rather, it is my faithfulness to my vocation.
Lola, I will forever treasure this thought. Until I die, my best gift for you is never accomplished, for my faithfulness extends until we see each other again in Heaven. Lola, thank you very, very, very, very, very much. I know and I believe you are resting with God in Heaven, and now we turn to you to pray for us, to intercede for us. As you and Lolo await us in Heaven to organize the grandest reunion of our family. There are no goodbye’s Lola, only “until we all meet again.” We love you, Lola.
Labels: eulogy, family matters, personal, reminiscing, testimony
