someone's waiting for you

"Be brave little one
Make a wish for each sad little tear
Hold your head up though no one is near
Someone's waiting for you
Don't cry little one
There'll be a smile where a frown use to be
You'll be part of the love that you see
Someone's waiting for you
Always keep a little prayer in your pocket
and you're sure to see the light
Soon there'll be joy and happiness
and your little world will be bright
Have faith little one
'Til your hopes and your wishes come true
You must try to be brave little one
Someone's waiting to love you"

Missing my baby sooooo much!

my big yellow mango

Yesterday, our office received 2 boxes of mangoes from one of our suppliers as a gift.

Naturally, with so many mangoes (and they were really bigger than the normal Pakistani mangoes we usually see!), all of us were able to have some for our afternoon snack and take at least one piece to take home.

Here’s a photo of me “modelling” my big mango :)
And this morning, our office boy gave me another mango to take home. Yummy! :)

what a wonderful world

"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world"

forty-two years

Today, my parents would have celebrated another wedding anniversary.
But even though Papa has been gone for seven years, Mama still continues to celebrate the memory of their special day every year.

So...Happy 42nd Wedding Anniversary, Mama & Papa!
Thank you for teaching us the true meaning of love, sacrifice, marriage and family.
We love you!
Boy, Boyet, Ning, Mel

leopoldo legaspi latorre...my papa

Last Sunday was Father’s Day, but the reason why I didn’t mention or actually acknowledge my own was because I wanted to do so today. Seven years ago on the 22nd of June, my Papa went Home.

He had been in and out of hospitals for several months, he had a heart operation, he had had diabetes since he was young and had to inject himself regularly with insulin, he had to go through dialysis every week and limit the amount of water he could drink, and of course there were so many medications he had to take...until finally his body couldn’t take it anymore.

That was one of the most difficult times in my life, especially since I had been “Papa’s Girl” for as long as I knew. And even though I had prayed for God to take away his pain and suffering, I didn’t mean or expect God to give him eternal rest.

More than a year after he had left and a few weeks before he would have celebrated his 65th birthday, I had typed the following note on my mobile phone which I have never deleted...a note that I hope he has read...somehow; or will read...someday.

Dear Papa,
A few minutes ago your face popped into my mind and the memories of your last months with us came flashing. Then I started crying...coz I miss you so much, Papa! 

I’m sorry for the times I became impatient when you were sick. And I’m really sorry for not being there when you left. But why couldn’t you hold on, Papa? You know, my biggest regret is not being able to have been there by your side to say goodbye. I keep thinking that maybe you didn’t want me to see you suffer in the end, that you felt it was for the best...but Papa, I still wish I was there...to hold your hand, to say whatever I needed to say, to capture last moments together...
Anyway, no matter what I do or think, it still won’t be able to bring you or that day back, even if I want to so badly. There’s such a lot I wish I could tell you, but what I really want to say is I really miss you a lot, Papa. I love you so much! And I’m proud to have been a Papa’s Girl coz God gave me the best Papa in the whole world! I know you’re happy wherever you are...and I hope you’re happy with who I have become because of you. Thank you, Papa...for everything.
Love, Mel

haligi ng tahanan

I’ve taken so many pictures of Caila and hubby while they’re asleep. I don’t know why I like doing it...maybe because they look so peaceful while they’re both off at dreamland...or maybe because hubby’s body is always positioned in a way that seems like he’s cradling Caila or protecting her from harm.

But out of all the pictures, the one below, which was the first “sleeping father & child pic” is my favorite. It was taken when Caila was just around 2 weeks old. She had woken up hungry and crying in the middle of the night, so hubby prepared and fed her a bottle of milk. Usually, after she’s finished drinking, burped, and she’s asleep again, hubby would lay her down beside me and he would follow.

But this time, I noticed that more than 40 minutes had passed but still I was alone in bed.
So I got up...and found the two of them on the couch sleeping so soundly, positioned in such a way that melted my heart that I immediately grabbed my camera to capture it. I’ve tried so many times to describe it, but all I can think of is that it signifies a message that, even when they are asleep all fathers want to tell their children: “Don’t worry, I’m here. I won’t let anyone or anything hurt you. Everything will be ok.”
Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pader, Tatay, Itay, Ama, Pops, or whatever you call your own fathers...HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all of you! And thank you, Guchi, for being a great father to Caila. I love you!