beat diabetes walk

As planned, my family and I participated in the Beat Diabetes walk last Friday. But since we didn’t get the chance to register in advance, we had to settle on the sizes of the remaining shirts, which unfortunately were large. And because we arrived late at Oasis Centre (just 15 minutes before the walk started), we also didn’t get the chance to have our faces painted and have our blood sugar tested. It didn’t matter though; what was important was we were able to join because as I mentioned in an earlier post, our participation was for Papa.

a few of the 12,000 participants

releasing of the blue balloons

The route was the entire block from Oasis Centre and the Pepsi factory and back. A few minutes into the walk, we noticed a 60+ year old Filipina lady beside us who was obviously by herself so we started a conversation and found out that she was visiting her daughter and son who were both Emirates Airlines employees, that it’s been 7 years since she became diabetic and when she found out that there would be a walk to beat diabetes, she gladly decided to join, she loves to travel, and so many other things. She was really madaldal, but it was a good thing because nakakatuwa sya and it kept our minds off the heat and the walk. When she found out that hubby was a graduate from Don Bosco and that he studied there from elementary up to college, she was really impressed, and told me “Ang swerte mo sa kanya!” to which I just replied with a smile “Alam ko po yun.” (really, I do, but not because he's a Bosconian).

As we were nearing the end of the walk, hubby asked Tita Efi (that’s her name) how she was going back to where she was staying. She said that she would be taking the bus to her daughter’s place; so since it’s near our apartment, we offered to give her a lift, which she happily accepted. Inside Oasis Centre, sandwiches, biscuits, water and juices were being given away so we took these and rested for some time while waiting for her son to arrive to drop-off some of her things. During this time, we saw a celebrity (at least, I think he is because so many people were asking to have a picture taken with him), so Tita Efi approached him and asked if he wanted to have a photo taken with his grandmother (her). Kulit di ba?! Hehehe. And of course Caila and I had to have ours taken with him as well.

do you know who he is?

Finally, Tita Efi’s son arrived and we were on our way. After we dropped her off, she thanked us so many times, and even sent an SMS the next day saying how grateful she was.

Come to think of it, we may have joined the walk for Papa, but maybe God decided to use us as angels for Tita Efi so that she wouldn’t be alone at the walk and she wouldn’t have to commute so far...Thank you, Lord!