Bye Wawie... :'(

"You can shed tears that she is gone,

or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,

or you can open your eyes an see all that she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,

or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,

or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone,

or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,

be empty and turn you back.

Or you can do what she'd want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on."

-David Harkins

Lola Mary (Sept 25, 1907- February 16, 2009)

Picture taken on her 101th birthday.

We all know that death is a part of life, and in our lola's passing, she has left all of us with nothing but good memories of the wonderful person she was and how she has lived her life. At 101, she has outlived two of her children, while she is survived by her other two children, 21 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren [another one on the way]. More importantly, she is very well-loved by all of them.

The harsh & painful reality of losing someone dear never escapes those who grieve and are left behind. But for our lola, we have all come to accept that at her age, it is her time to go and rest. It is sad, yes, because the world has lost a very kind soul. To claim such in all honesty and sincerity is a rarity these days. The people close to her can attest that in her 101 years of living, my lola has never uttered a single mean thing about anyone, never ever cursed even in her not-so-lucid moments, and even remained extremely polite to everyone around her until her very last days. My lola is the kindest and most selfless person I've ever known. I'm not just saying that because she is now gone, but because if there were more people like her alive today, the world would surely be a better place.

I am glad Kaden got the chance to meet her, and that she met him when she still recognized the people around her. She thought he was a girl though, and would constantly exclaim that she thought he was a beautiful baby. She never believed that he was my own son, and thought my mom and dad "adopted" a baby. This picture below was taken circa 2005, when lola was still able to come to our house. I'm sad though that she won't get to meet baby Chace. :(

We will miss you, Wawie! :( We love you very very much.