I woke up early this evening from nap to find about 15 missed calls from family. My maternal grandmother, who has been confined in the hospital since last week, has passed away peacefully this afternoon. She was 89 years old.
Right now, I cannot still fully grasp the news. I guess growing up seeing and watching my Lola bounce back from everything, I was expecting her to bounce back to good health this time, too. But even the fact that she was no longer as strong as she was, I was actually hoping that we will get to see her and spend this year’s Christmas with her. The news that she has passed on is still a shock.
Life is indeed full of surprises. One day you’re great, the next day, you’re not. You’re happy on some days, you’re sad on other days. One day you’re laughing your heart out, the next day, you’re dead.
89 years is a long time. And I am glad that we were able to spend such a long time with our Lola. She may have not been a favorite but she was family and she was a great provider even to us, her apos, and I am forever grateful to her. I am glad that she got to know my son and was able to spend a couple of years watching him grow before I brought him to the big metro with me. She loved meeting new additions to the family. She valued family in her own special way.
I am still in a daze hours after learning the news of her passing. I have yet to start packing our things as we will be going home to be with family tomorrow. My mind is going blank. I still cannot believe that we won’t be going home this coming Christmas to find our Lola and hear her scold us for being out in the cold at night. I could not believe that I wouldn’t be seeing her toothless smile and shout my answers to her questions because she had a hard time hearing already. I couldn’t believe that I would no longer hear her say “Kaasyan daka ti Apo” (“God bless you”) whenever we would bless to her (as a respect to elders) when we arrive home and when we leave to go back to the big metro.
It is a sad day for the family indeed. However, we are happy that she is no longer suffering and no longer in pain. We know that she is now in a better place, getting reunited with our Creator and our Lolo who had passed away years ahead of her. We will truly miss her.