Monday, January 21, 2008 Out of the habit By Maria Flora S. Abril
THE salsa had always been her favorite.
Sitting across me, her eyes light up when we come around to that particular topic. Dancing is one of the things that the Latin Americans are known for.
And being a native of Colombia, she was exposed to music and rhythm at an early age.
Her rosy complexion glows as nostalgia sets in. She laughs and talks about community gatherings when she was four, five years old. “That’s when dancing started getting into my blood,” she enthuses. Now twenty-one years later Sr. Luz Maria Buitrago Cardona, a member of the Tertiary Capuchin Sisters of the Holy Family, is swaying to a new beat and making waves as directress of Luis Amigo Ladies Dormitory (LALD).
Early years. Having taught catechism at her parish when she was just 11, Sister Luz had earlier aspirations of becoming a missionary.
However, she discerned later on that her true calling was to pursue a religious vocation. “The best thing for me to be a missionary is through the religious life, “she says. After being based in the congregation’s home for abused girls in Makati for six years, she was later transferred to Cebu to serve as administrator for the new facility to be placed there.
As a result of becoming attached to the wards and helpers at Pembo home, she thought she would never be able to work in a new environment. “I was asking: ‘What do the girls in the dormitory need, when they already have everything?’ I discovered that you need a lot of love, a lot of understanding; that you also need us, need Jesus,” the directress explains.
From scratch. Running a dormitory with 185 residents and keeping an in-house staff is one mean feat. And for somebody with no previous experience, it was a challenge.
A challenge that Sister Luz and her colleagues continue to face. “There will always be complaints; people will always talk about the food, about the house, the rules and regulations, but I always pray that I will be able to touch your hearts, “ she says.
A home away from home. Having been in contact with the Filipino culture for more than a decade, she has become fully adapted to it and considers herself a Pinay at heart. When asked to comment on the crisis that the nation is facing, she points out the need to preserve the Filipino identity and belongingness: “I encourage the girls. You have to continue fighting for your country because it is a wonderful country.”
Aside from verbal encouragement, this particular nun truly stands out because she defies convention. Veering from the stereotype, she readily plays basketball, drives sick dormers to the hospital at dawn, and chases dormers around the lobby just for the fun of it as any great mother would.
Keeping true to the belief that LALD is not just a place to stay but “a home away from home,” Sister Luz knows that love along with her endearing and honest personality can surpass all odds.
And having been under her care all of my college life, trust me, it works.
After the interview, I sat back and looked at her expressive face, now made even more beautiful because of that radiant smile. Her eyes might hint of tiredness but the smile still says it all. I have always enjoyed seeing her dance the salsa; lively, fun, and invigorating. Just like Sister Luz Maria, a graceful dancer with a beat that is all her own.
