Phases of Life 4: Wake Up Eric!

Eric is just 45 years old and is in an induced coma. He was, since Monday when he suffered aneurism at work and was rushed to Westmead Hospital. He regained conciousness the next day, was promptly operated on and was put in an induced coma to stabilize his condition. He is still in ICU at Westmead.

We are praying for him at this stage, as science has done its job. His wife and children misses him. His brothers here in Australia and parents in the Philippines and countless relatives and friends in both countries are praying for him.

Praying that Eric will survive and surmount this "test" and the will of God; whatever that may be, "Be Done". It is not wishful thinking, but a cry for help, for strenght and guidance.

Our healing prayers for Eric. For Chona and their children and for Bubot and Sonny and their parents; our prayers for strenght in this very difficult time.

This April 2008, as the month is drawing to a close, Eric's "slice of life" - a phase in any one's life managed to just pipped in. I was only planning for three stories: a child celebrating his second bithday, a mother celebrating her 100th birthday and a friend who just died of cancer. Now, Eric, another friend - a fourth phase of life, hanging on to dear life.

(Just in case you're wondering what the picture is all about, it is stripped copper wires that we recycle. Eric and I are both into electronics, and that is the connection. Life, like these copper wires are inter-connected and inter-mingled - and like life we are recycled to that great beyond!)

Phases of Life 1: Goodbye Bing

We said goodbye to one of our friends and kumare this early part of April.

Mareng Bing died from cancer at 54. She is one of our first friends when we first came here in Sydney. Although we have not seen each other often or as often as we would like to, we managed to see her now and again. We visited her as well at the hospital before she died.

It was an eye opening experience for us, too close for "comfort". When we saw her at Prince Alfred Hospital, we spoke about a lot of things. But what caught our attention is her regret for working too hard and not taking time to enjoy herself. I guess, regrets are always at the end of one's life. When all is ending or about to end, we have the time to ponder on things that we should have done: the what ifs of life.

This reminded me once more of a tattoo a young friend of my daughter and son-in-law had. Clinton has tattooed "Carpe Diem" on his arm in big bold letters. A very popular phrase from a Latin poem by Horace; which literally translates to "seize the day".

Wikipedia says: "The most common interpretation of the phrase is as an existential cautionary term with emphasis on making the most of current opportunities because life is short and time is fleeting." An admonition that we should do the things we want or enjoy doing, whether spending time with our loved ones and friends or finding that passion in our lives before it's too late.

In the past few years, Bing went home to Dumaguete City and build a house for her to retire, with partner Michael and her mom. She was looking forward to spent more vacation time in her new home, with her siblings and relatives.

The mass at the Catholic Chapel at Rookwood Cemetery Crematorium (the biggest Necropolis in the Southern Hemisphere) was well attended considering that it was a weekday. Bing's friends took the time to say their final goodbyes. She might have some regrets in the end, but I think and believe she did good by the amount of friends that said goodbye and visited her in the hospital.

Bing was cremated as she wished and her ashes will be flown back by Mamang and Ted back to Dumaguete City.

So goodbye Bing and it's been a privilege and joy knowing you!

(Moderator's notes: "Kumare"; (Comadre) literally means co-mother or co-parent, a "relationship between the parents and godparents of a child common in most Latin communities. "Mamang" is a term for mother.)

Phases of Life 2: Century Milestone

Photo shows my Nanay on the left, with the celebrant Nanay Cion.

I believe this is my first 100th birthday party that I've attended, and I just turned fifty!

Which means, either I don't have too many friends who have their parents or grandparents turning 100 years old or I wasn't just invited for being "too young"... heheheeee.

My friend Tony's mom, Mrs Maria Resureccion Hernandez or Nanay Cion for short, celebrated her 100th birthday the other week. She even got all these congratulatory letters from the Queen herself, HRH Queen Elizabeth; The NSW Governor and the NSW Premier and Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. How cool was that?

I remembered several things from this party, aside from the food and drinks and the fellowship.

I vividly remember and was impressed with the retelling of the story of Nanay Cion's life. Compressed into an hour's worth of presentation; as narrated by son, Tony. What a colourful life of courage and determination. Of a love story coming into fruition. Of sons and daughters coming over from different parts of the world to celebrate her centenary.

You must be wondering what was the second one was. Was it the food and the company? The speeches... not really but the odd request of the celebrant to have a gay stand up comic! So enters Ursula Diva, the Queen of Comedy, as Corregidor Entertainment Centre and Restaurant bills "The Queen". She's funny in a Pinoy sense, and was entertaining enough to keep us awake.

I do hope that Tony, who is a phenomenal writer, would put into a blog his mother's story complete with the illustrations reportedly done by his brother. It makes good reading and chronicle on the net his mother's story.

Happy Birthday Nanay Cion. I hope I will be as lucky and as sharp as you when I turn 100!

Phases of Life 3: Kallen Turns Two

Kallen can sing Happy Birthday before he even turned two.

One day while I was driving him to his Popo's house, I heard him singing "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...." I was wondering who taught him that. But I later found out that he has this penchant for singing.

He loves Alicia Key's No One, and I am not kidding nor exaggerating. He even loves it with the music video, hence I downloaded both the original music video and a live one she sung at Good Morning America in New York. His Honey even downloaded the ringtone and Kallen always (I mean always!) asks his Honey to play back the ringtone for him. He also loves Hi-5 and Wiggles as any young person would.

Back to his birthday, he turned two this month and got; as always plenty of toys. The biggest of which is a medium size (as opposed to the "normal" size jumping castle that one can hire) "jumping castle" complete with a slide. It was a "bargain" at AUD299.00, or so my daughter tells me and she justified it by saying that she won't hire another one. That is till this one breaks!

This birthday is a special for him as well as for us. Special for Kallen since he knows how to sing the birthday song, blow out his candles (with an "S") and he sort of can enjoy his special day and play with the kids. He was also surprised by his siblings (with the help of mom and dad), with baloons when he woke up on his birthday! He was thrilled, as he loves baloons and balls.

For the grown ups, it was special seeing him so happy with the gifts. Plus of course all the food and drinks consumed!

("Popo" grandmother in Indonesian and Chinese.)