AFTER my heart infarction attack, I became weak and cannot travel to faraway places.
I walk around helped by a cane and easily get tired. I am 85 years old now and most of the time, home bound. The only long trip I could make is the yearly Christmas vacation trip to my old hometown, Pasig, in Metro Manila. Here, I have the pleasure of meeting my San Juan clan attended by all our families with a sumptuous lunch, gift exchanges, games.
Lots of fun being able to hug and kiss all our loved ones. It is not the case with my Lipa clan of the Hidalgo families. I cannot travel far without getting so tired and weak. We hardly meet and are just thankful that we have the Internet, Facebook, cell phones, and other similar sophisticated means of communication.
My Lipa clan families are also in different countries abroad. Two families opted to immigrate to the states, USA and get dual citizenships. Two are in Madrid, Spain as Spanish citizens. Some are in Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, and Hong Kong with their families. The interesting story is the expected visit of my three sisters-in-law from Lipa Batangas, Erlie, Nene, and Norgie. Erlie is the youngest and she played a great role in my meeting Virgilio, my husband. We were professors in Saint Louis University in Baguio City. Erlie was my student in science and I was wondering why she always gave me a letter. She was never absent so it could not be excuse notes. I found out that they were love letters from her brother. He was courting me. He was living in the house of Nene's family in Baguio.
By a twist of fate we all met in Baguio. As the story went, Virgilio and me got married at the Baguio Cathedral on August 26, 1962. My father-in- law, the organist of Lipa church for 42 years, played the organ in our wedding, Nene sang, and Michael, her eldest son, was ring bearer. A nice family affair. The church was filled to capacity with our students who wanted to see their professors' wedding.
That time, I was living in the girls dormitory of Patria de Baguio. After our marriage we rented a house near the dorm. As planned Erlie stayed with us till she finished college. She was so helpful and we had hot meals to eat every day. We eventually built our first home on top of a hill at Camp 7, the end of Kennon zigzag road. Nene with her young sons were our frequent visitors while Erlie went back to Lipa to teach at Cannosa Academy.
Fast forward to the lives of Nene and Erlie in the United States. Both opted for dual citizenships. The life of Nene is unique. She spends six months of her life during Christmas season with her grown up sons living in four different states. She spends quality time and bonding in each of their homes Michael and Chocho and their sons; Vincent and wife Merli who are my constant text mates; John, my "anak-anakan" or foster son stayed with us so Virgilio and I can have a baby of our own. This is an old Pilipino belief. John is close to me visiting me in Manila often. He has three grown up sons all on communication businesses. The sons are with Elite Communications while John, stationed in Makati, has a sophisticated Smart com systems. The youngest son of Nene, George, who looked like the child Jesus when he was young, has his own family, too. Nene goes back to Lipa in time for the feast of Saint Sebastian where all relatives celebrate with a sumptuous lunch.
Instead of a grand celebration with her sons in the US they told her they will give her a surprise gift. The four of them are sponsoring, all expenses paid for a visit to Davao City from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2. Erlie, Norgie are included in the trip. Nene will celebrate her 80th birthday there on Feb.1 to visit me. I am so happy to finally meet my loved sisters-in-law. We will make up for all the times we have not met.
Norgie was with me during my 80th bday with the folks from Lipa. I am happy to know that with God's blessings the whole clan is doing fine. I sincerely thank the four brothers who are my FB regular text mates for sponsoring the visit to Davao. Erlie is also an immigrant to the US. Also opting for dual citizenship. She lives with the family of her eldest daughter, Jeng. Erlie is teaching in a school there for young kids and English language to adults. She has 3 other daughters, Deng, Leng and Memeng. Leng is my godchild and is a successful graduate as a soprano and music instructor in UP Diliman. She is now a head teacher in music in Ateneo de Manila, grade school department. Deng and Memeng are married with families of their own in Lipa.
Norgie stays in our home in Lipa dutifully caring for our house there. She is a breast cancer survivor, thank God. She is a very active Catholic action worker in our church in Lipa.She helps in taking care of our big clan in Lipa whenever they visit our house after Sunday Mass. For the welcome visit to Davao we plan to bring them on Jan31 to Malagos to see their acres of waling waling flowers and other blooms; the famous "bird show " of Dr. Bo, and the huge cocoa trees forest where they harvest and process the world famous Malagos pure chocolate products.
The Puentespina family is our family's bosom friends. Feb. 1, Father Randy Guevarra, the son of our cousin in San Jose Batangas will celebrate a special mass for Nene's 80th birthday. Luckily he is assigned in our Assumption Parish Church with the SSS congregation. We will see the sights in Davao as part of this visit. We have all the time to chat, remember our lives together in Baguio and how things are going on in our lives this time.
This column might be of interest to me only but reading it you will see the values of family life, its filial and loving relationships, cooperation and unity.
Remember, an ideal family is the solid foundation of a peaceful and progressive nation.
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