Farewell to Ninong Chito

I would like to say goodbye to my dearest Ninong Chito. He recently joined our Lord in heaven. His long suffering from colon cancer has finally end. It was a mixed emotion of sadness and relief that his battle with cancer is finally over. Though it is a painful moment, a sad experience, we have to let go of our dear loved one and let God take over and take him to his kingdom. So many tears for us to shed for we will miss him, but for my Ninong Chito, he has found his refuge.

When I was young, I used to say he is my favorite ninong. Because from all the ninongs I had in my baptismal picture, he is the only one I know. He gives me presents even if it's not Christmas. He often asks me, what do I want for my birthday. Even if I ask for expensive and hard to find gift, he'll still give it to me. He takes me with him, Ninang Precy, Mark and Princess to the movies every weekend. I remember we used to see movies at Noli Theater in Blumentritt, Grand Central, and Isetan Recto. Dine out, play at their house, I love being with them. They're my family outside my home. More memories to tell and how I wish I can tell them all. Treated me like a daughter as well with my siblings. Growing up, he's always there giving me advices even if I don't ask of it. Through this, he lets me know that I am important to him. So he is too with the others.

Two days ago, I was in Balut, refusing to see him. I want to remember his face the way he used to look when he was not yet incurred with illness. Seeing him in his death bed breaks my heart. Then, I thought of Ninang Precy, Mark, Princess, Nanay Loleng, Tita Carlyn, Tito Roland and all the others who sees him everyday. Wrecking their hearts everyday, seeing him deteriorating and in pain. Hurting them everyday, watching him suffer. I don't have the right to take the blues. Because his family is more than in pain. Especially to Ninang Precy, whom I know have been faithfully taking good care of him all their married life. I regret not seeing him for the last time and take the strength to hold him. With this, I pray for his family to be blessed with spiritual strength in this time of mourning.

He may be gone, but he sure is forever be remembered. He has been a son, brother, father, friend, and a husband. All his life he had served our Lord. I think he has lived his life perfectly, though it was short, it was abundant.

I would like to share this piece by Dan Richardson. He is an enthusiastic believer in Christ, lost his battle with cancer, the following piece was distributed at his memorial service.

Cancer is limited....
It cannot cripple love,
It cannot corrode faith,
It cannot eat away peace,
It cannot destroy confidence,
It cannot kill a friendship,
It cannot shut out memories,
It cannot silence courage,
It cannot invade the soul,
It cannot reduce eternal life,
It cannot quench the spirit,
It cannot lessen the power of resurrection.

-Charles Swindol, The Finishing Touch

Like Ninong Chito, he may have lost his battle with cancer but he was never deprived of the good things which it cannot offer.




Ninong Chito, visiting me at home.
I asked him to come because I want to show him how I looked like in my santacruzan gown.