Lizares: Celebrating 90 in the Year of the Rabbit

THE very day of the lunar celebration 2011, Alicia de Oca Villanueva turned 90. To celebrate the milestone, children Emily (Momot) and Bibing invited all her friends and relatives to share the momentous day. The city was abuzz with the opening day highlights of the Chinese New Year and traffic was at a standstill which held up the honoree. Mass was to start at 6 in the evening. But 90 is 90 and everyone waited patiently, unmindful of the delay. Tita Alice makes her appearance and everyone joyfully stood up to greet her warmly.

Fr. Gigi Gaston and Fr. Raymand Asoy officiated the Mass with Fr. Bernard OCD, a relative sitting beside Tita Alice. Fr. Gigi is never wanting with jokes, even during his homilies. He said that his sermons should be as short as a lady's skirt - not too short neither too long - just enough to cover the essentials. Also, since the majority of the guests were peers and thus very senior citizens, hearing can be quite impaired and there was no need of much talk. Hehehe!!!

After dinner, a short program ensued. There was a trip down memory lane of the younger days of Tita Alice when she was but a maiden until she met the love of her life Tito Gasing and they lived happily for more than 50 years enjoying children, grandchildren and "apos sa tuhod."

Emily picked some original quotes which she feels best describes her mother. Our mom, Alice, is all of these. "My mother has always been totally loving, totally patient, totally understanding. And I know that the feeling of being loved and cared for will be with me my whole life." - Helen Thomson (1943)

"A mother is she who can take place of all others but whose place no one else can take." - Cardinal Mermillod

"Everybody knows that a good mother gives her children a feeling of trust and stability She is the one they can count on for the things that matter most of all. She is their food and their bed and their extra blanket when it grows cold in the night ..." - Katharine Butler Hathaway

Sometimes we need not be original because mothers are really the most special people on earth and, universally, we share the same intimate emotions.

Greetings in video from children in America, Bo, Maggie and Coroy made Tita Alice nostalgic but she knew that even if they were not around, they were in her heart and she in theirs.

It's great to see ladies aging with grace and still pursue a meaningful life enjoying family, friends and the things that one enjoys like the slot machine!!! Life is a grace from GOD and everyday should be a thanksgiving for the gift of life. That is how Tita Alice spends her day!!! In thanksgiving and rejoicing for her blessings!!!