Christopher says Hi!

We were in Surrey earlier today. We attended a baby shower near tita Dyet's home. On our way home, we passed by Surrey Memorial Hospital (where tita Dyet passed away). After a few blocks, our 2 year old son, Christopher, was waiving outside the window of the left middle passenger side of our van and kept saying "bye, tita". I was thinking to myself, who is he saying bye to (even though tita Dyet popped in my head)? Then I shared my thoughts out loud and Greg said you never know who he could be waving at. Both of us, at that moment, knew Christopher was saying bye to tita Dyet. You are still in our thoughts daily, tita Dyet.

Always thinking of you

Tita, I know you're still around because I can't take you off my head. I think of you very frequently and continue to think in disbelief that you are no longer living. It was just yesterday that we were laughing and giggling in the restaurant, making girly gossip and discussing the future. I cannot believe you left so suddenly and that I will not be able to talk to you in flesh anymore. I don't know what it is, but your passing seems to have hit me harder than a "normal" niece should be feeling for an aunt. It is an understatement to say that I miss you and am always thinking of you. Tita, please keep us close to your heart and give Jesus a hug for me.

We are missing you

Tita Dyet joined our Lord on July 19, 2008 at 4:40 a.m. She was buried yesterday at Valley View Memorial Gardens in Surrey. Unlike today's rainy weather, yesterday was the perfect day; sunny and not too hot. I was happy to see such a good turn-out of attendees at the interment. Tita herself would have been proud at how well her funeral turned out. Thanks, in part, to her own advanced planning of the funeral (3 years ago); and the other part is from the collaboration of her family and friends in coordinating and executing the event. We are definitely missing you, tita.

my tita, the activist

Like everyone else in the family, I cannot concentrate on any work at work, as I continue to think of tita every minute of the day. Her family & friends all know how tita Dyet enjoys being an activist for issues that she is passionate about. I did a google search of tita's name and found this short comment she made about the Pope visiting ground zero (hers is comment #18): http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/pope-is-en-route-to-visit-ground-zero/

Our tita Dyet

We were told that our tita is having multiple organ failure and she will only have 2 days left to live. She's been taken off sedation and has showed signs of "knowing" we are there. She had tears in her eyes, according to her brother. My uncle and their sons have decided not to pursue the scheduled dialysis because it will only prolong her suffering. It's all a bit surreal for me right now and I can't sleep thinking of my tita. She sent me this picture of her after she lost her hair from chemo. She wanted to have a "decent" picture of herself in the photobook I was making for my nanay Eva's 80th birthday. However, tita had sent the picture too late because I had already published the photobook.