P A R E N T S

It was December, in the midst of the holiday season when I was informed of the health condition of my mother.  I was in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia then.  Wala pang cellphone noon.  Wala pa ring internet.  The news was relayed to me by my sister through a letter. 

Although I had considered it as a possibility, still, the news shocked me.  It still devastated me then.  Nanay had cirrhosis of the liver.  Just like her younger sister.  Cirrhosis claimed the life of her sister.  This same illness was about to claim my mother’s life too. 

That devastating news made me sad from then on.  I cried bucket of tears.  Halos gabi-gabi na lang mula noon, umiiyak ako.  Everything about my mother flashed back.  Iyong mga sakripisyo niya para sa amin.  Iyong mga pagmamahal na pinadama niya sa amin na mga anak nya, pati na rin sa mga pamangkin niya, sa mga kapatid niya, sa mga kapitbahay namin at sa lahat-lahat na lang ng mga taong na-touch niya ang buhay.  At that time, sa tingin ko, parang di pa kumpleto ang buhay ni Nanay para kunin na siya ng Panginoon.  I thought, it was still too early for her to go.  I begged the Lord to spare muna si Nanay.  She was in her sixties pa lang during that time.  Wala pa siyang apo.  Although napagtapos na niya ako as a Civil Engineer, but my career was just starting.  Halos di ko pa nararamdaman ang success at di ko pa napadama sa kanya ang karangyaan.

The diagnosis on her was that she got only six months more to live.  Masyadong fatal ang illness niya.  Pwede sana siyang operahan to remove the damage in her liver but she was diabetic.  She had the same condition with her younger sister.

Kaya nagbilang ako ng buwan.  Nakapagbakasyon pa ako noon at nagkita pa kami ni Nanay.  Pero unlike her sister, di pumanaw si Nanay after six months.  She was on and off sa hospital pero she survived the six months. 

Pero kinuha rin siya ng Panginoon in the following year. Noong makapag-bakasyon ako at magkita kami ni Nanay, akala ko iyon na ang huling pagkikita namin.  Pero nakauwi pa ako bago siya binawi ng Panginoon. It was His will.  Siguro nga the Lord really wanted her na during that time at ginawan din Niya ng paraan na makauwi ako para nandoon ako sa pagpanaw ni Nanay.  And we submitted to His will.

I am now working in Papua New Guinea.  And a few days ago another sad news came to me again.

I was in the middle of a novena mass when I received a text message from my youngest sister.  Tatay had glaucoma in one of his eyes.  He can barely see.  My eyes welled with tears upon learning that.  All along I had been praying for good health for Tatay and the other members of my family.  At heto pa ang balitang dumating sa akin.

Yet on second thought napag-isip isip ko rin na, at least di naman life threatening ang sakit ni Tatay.  Di naman totally affected ang vision nya.  He can still see. Ang sakit nya ay part na ng pagtanda nya.  He is already in his late 70s.  Edad na di ko na nga sigurong kayang abutin.

But still, nalungkot pa rin ako.  Ano kaya ang naiisip ni Tatay?  Naaawa ako sa kanya.  Kung pwede nga lang na ako na lang ang maghirap. Hwag na lang sya.

But then, this is all God’s will.  And I submit to that.  Alam ko naman na everything comes with a purpose.  Susuportahan ko na lang si Tatay sa paraan na makakaya ko.  Besides, andyan naman ang Panginoon na Siyang nakakaalam ng lahat.

Dasal ko lang, sana hwang Niya lang masyadong pahirapan si Tatay.  At sana, patagalin pa siya.  Siya na lang ang magulang na naiwan sa amin.  Kinuha na Niya si Nanay.  Pakiramdam ko di pa kami ready na maulila sa magulang.  It’s hard to lose a parent. 

Lalo na kung dalawa na silang wala.