Tag: faith

Nineteen Years and Forever Yours: A Letter to Mariel

On By Ramon B.In Mariel's LifeLeave a comment

Dearest Mommy,

Today is a quiet, revered day for our family—one that calls for reflection, remembrance, and an open heart.

​Nineteen years. It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it has been nineteen years since the day you left us for the Lord’s garden at UST Hospital. Time has a strange way of moving forward, carrying us through the seasons, yet standing completely still in the moments that matter most.

​If you were here with us today, my love, the very first thing I would have wanted to tell you is about Sam. Our beloved daughter is all grown up now, and I am filled with an indescribable joy to tell you that she is now a lawyer, working at Villaraza and Angangco Law in BGC. To watch her step into this chapter, working hard, fiercely intelligent, and carrying the grace and strength that you always embodied—it is indeed a sight to behold. Oh, how proud you would have been. I know you are watching over her from wherever you are, but part of me aches knowing you aren’t here in person to see the incredible, successful woman she has blossomed into. She makes us proud every single day.

​I sometimes look out at gardens you loved so much, imagining you tending to blossoms and remembering how your hands brought life and color to everything you touched. Every bloom feels like a whisper of your presence, a quiet reminder of the beauty you left behind in this world and in our lives. Even when the weeds of grief creep in, the roots of the love we planted together remain strong, anchoring me through every storm and holding fast to the memories we created and loved.

​And yet, as bright as Sam’s future is, some days the quietness at home still echoes with your absence. People often say that time heals all wounds, but the truth is, I don’t think I will ever truly get over losing you. The depth of my sadness on these difficult days is simply a reflection of the depth of my love for you. How could time ever dull the ache of losing someone so precious and irreplaceable?

​You were, and remain, the kindest and most loving person I have ever known. Your warmth, your compassion, gentle ways touched every life around you and left a mark on this world that can never be filled by anyone else. You are one of a kind, Mariel, and my heart has never stopped holding a place that belongs only to you.

Nineteen years have passed, but our love for you hasn’t faded by even a fraction. We will always remember you, we will always honor you, and we will carry you in our hearts forever. You are, after all, our beloved “ninicoco.”

​Rest peacefully, Mariel. Until the time we meet again.

With all my love,

Bong

A Landscape Forever Changed

On By Ramon B.In Mariel's Life2 Comments

Dearest Mommy,

I should have written this a few days ago, but your beloved Tatacoco got sick, so I only had the chance to write again tonight.

Your passing feels like yesterday, yet it has been eighteen years since I last saw your radiant smile, heard your laughter, or felt the reassuring warmth of your hand in mine. I visit “Mariel’s Garden” because it beautifully echoes the essence of who you were. And I want to tell you how much you are still, and always will be, a part of everything in my life.

To me, a garden with its vibrant life and its beautiful flowers is the perfect reflection of who you are. For you always saw beauty in the promise of every tiny seed, and the importance of tending to it with love. You had cultivated not just flowers, but joy, kindness, and understanding in everyone you had ever met. For your inner beauty truly blossomed, Mariel, making you the most lovely person I have ever known, inside and out.

I remember, too, how you could make even the simplest moments feel profound. Our walk in the park became an adventure, our quiet evening at home a sanctuary. You had this incredible way of illuminating the world around you, making colors brighter, music sweeter, and love deeper. You taught me so much without ever needing to say a word – just by being you.

Life without you, however, is a landscape forever changed. There are many days that colors feel muted, and the silence too loud. But then, I feel you in the warmth of the morning sun on my face, a gentle reminder of your bright spirit. I hear you in the rustling of leaves, a whisper of your calming presence. I see you in every flower that pushes its way through the ground, a testament to the resilient and beautiful life you once lived. You had planted so many seeds of love and happiness in my heart, and people who knew you, and they continue to grow, and give comfort and strength to us.

You were my truest love, my greatest supporter. You saw me, truly saw me, and loved me unconditionally. That kind of love is a rare and precious thing, and I will carry it with me every single day. For it has shaped who I am, and it will always guide me forward.

Thank you, my love, for every moment, every memory, every lesson, and every ounce of your boundless love. Thank you for making my world a more beautiful place, a garden I can still walk through in my memories, forever in bloom because of you. Thank you for being the most beautiful person, for me and your daughter, Sam. You are our forever garden, eternally blooming in our hearts.

With all my love, always,

Bong

Coming Back by Sally Kennedy

On By Ramon B.In Third Party Articles1 Comment

I just received an email from my friend Mana ( Happy Birthday, Mana, its her birthday by the way). I found the article by Sally Kennedy thats been helpful and also very appropriate for Mariel’s Garden. Here goes:

“COMING BACK
By Sally I Kennedy

Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,
rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were
taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
Coming Back
The plant that “would grow anywhere” looked dead as a doornail. The
flowers behind it weren’t looking so good either. Limp and fading,
they appeared to be on their last leg, too. Ironically, the
surrounding weeds were thriving, growing great.
Fading, limp, wilting, or a goner. Have you ever felt this way, in
your spirit, body, or emotions? I’ve been there, and I have learned
the truth of the principle of being rooted in Christ.
This plant was sprayed with an insecticide, but the large dose burned
it. For us, circumstances, relationships, job situations, can batter,
or burn, us pretty good sometimes. That’s life.
On the surface, what is visible, is what I call “in the night”. Things
seem dim, cloudy, even dark. But God is not a God of confusion. No
matter what is going on, He is still sovereign, still watching over
you, and involved in every facet of your life, working all things out
for your good.

On either side of this burned-out plant are two sturdy, older bushes,
and the roots of the plant have grown deep down into the soil below.
This plant will come back. It will have fuzzy green leaves again. It
will have bold sunny yellow flowers.
Stay rooted and grounded in Christ. In Ephesians 3, Paul says, “May
your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.”

Persevere, no matter what. Hold on to the hem of Jesus’ robe, to His
mighty and powerful name. We will not only be survivors, but we will
flourish.
That is good news.”

Thanks again Mana