Made me think...

August. HOT day in the city. Just your typical Tuesday after work day. Got home from work, saying hi to the kids, having dinner, getting ready for the next day...typical.

So here we are in the living room. The kids and wifey on the sofa, me with the baby standing up, and were watching John & Kate plus 8. As we are getting into it, my cell phone rings. It's my dad. He wanted to know if we're watching TFC. I said no. He tells me to turn it there, so I did. It's the funeral of Cory Aquino. Martin Nievera and Regine Velasquez are singing The Prayer. I like Martin's version a lot and no, it's not because I am a fan. So we are watching the funeral as we listen to them sing. Then other singing stars like Ogie Alcasid and Jose Marie Chan are singing as well to pay tribute to the former president.

I hurriedly changed it back to John & Kate, but my wife wanted to watch the funeral. I was a little surprised because she doesn't really keep up with the goings-on in the Philippines. But in a sense I was glad she did...and this is why:

During the show, the daughter of the former president, Chris Aquino was being interviewed by the local news that was covering the event. She was very strong, carrying a good conversation, but, there was a time in the interview where realization set in. She said, "...now that the mass is over and we are processing to the burial site, it's more of a realization now and that we have to move on without her..." This hit me hard but I'm sure it hit my wife harder. You see, my wife lost her mom earlier this year. She lost her life to the same disease that Cory Aquino was battling, colon cancer. As Chris kept pouring out how she felt at her most vulnerable time, I sat next to my wife, for I knew what Chris was saying, is what my wife was feeling. There were a lot of similarities with my wife's mom and Pres. Aquino. I'm not saying that my mom-in-law was qualified to run a country, but she made sure her kids were taken cared of, when she was alive and now when she is at rest.

This made me think about my grandma, who's death anniversary of 1 year is coming up. It also made me realize how special these women were. I know we always say, "Treasure these moments fo you will not get them back..." So true.

Like I said life is experienced in stages. Enjoy each stage.