YESTERDAY could have marked the 64th birthday of our beloved Estrellita Lising David. However, since she is not here with us anymore, all that we could do is to remember her contagious laugh and celebrate the legacy she has left behind.
I’ve first known her as “Darang Baby” when I was about ten years old. She and my mom are first cousins and she spent her college days living with my mother’s family.
I’ve only known recently though that in order for her to pursue her studies in the University of the Assumption taking up Education, she had to work in the university and sometimes even had to do some cleaning jobs in the campus. That alone led me to believe that Tita Estrell indeed has great motivation and commitment to her dreams and ambitions in life.
After her stint as a classroom teacher (she being described as a very strict Mathematics teacher by her former students), she rose to the ranks to being a DepEd supervisor, and ultimately, being the Chief of the Human Resource Development Division of the DepEd Regional Office.
When I transferred to the DepEd regional office, I got the chance to get to know her more and at the same time, had the privilege of being under her care and guidance while being a new recruit in the agency.
Everyone who has had the opportunity to at least meet or work with Mam Estell can attest to the fact that she is a very hardworking, goal-oriented person that although sometimes going overboard, has her mind focused in achieving results and delivering her target outputs.
In her division, her staff calls her “Mother” -- a term of endearment which may be ironic in a sense for in reality, she was not blessed with an offspring of her own.
However, this fate may have given her the opportunity and the means to be a mother to her nephews and nieces, sending them to school and literally performing the duties of being their mother, in all its deepest sense.
My Tita Estrell, or Tati to her closest nieces, is an epitome of a faithful and devout follower of God. Amidst the challenges and trials that struck her, her faith in the Lord has never faltered. I remember one of our intimate conversations, she was crying and telling me that she came to a point that she began questioning God why all these things were happening to her, but only very quick to realize that she was sorry for doubting the will of the Lord, this giving her more faith and strength to continue and never give up.
She is a woman of God, a true servant of Jesus who has greatly lived a meaningful and moral life here on earth. She has touched a lot with her friendship and guidance, and I am one of these many people who truly look up to her, and remember her as a person with a truly dignified and fruitful legacy.
All these were made possible as she has lived a great life because a very kindhearted and faithful man loved her more than his own lif -- the man who treated Mam Estrell like a queen -- Muno David. He was indeed, the wind beneath Estrellita’s wings.