With my brother-in-law’s permission, I am able to post this story on social media.
Maria Kaufman approached me, after a hi and introducing myself as Rachel’s sister, now I am the eldest, the Ate in the family of 7, now just 3 sisters left.
My sister cared for the mom of Dr. Rachel Kaufman, Maria, who was 4 months pregnant when she was hospitalized at Presbyterian. She stayed for 5 months in this hospital, attended to by my sweet, patient, kind, smart sister Kay.
My Sister Kay kept telling the other nurses, “Miracles can happen,” while others said “Maria will not have a baby.”
Miracle did happen. Maria gave birth to a baby, her baby grew up, and graduated as a physician, named after my sister Kay, whom they stayed in communication with, via FaceTime for 32 years.
Dr. Rachel is now an attending physician at a regional hospital in Corona, CA. Sister Kay I believe is an angel, caring, guiding us with her wisdom. She had a beautiful burial yesterday, inurnnment of her ashes in a box, while butterflies were released.
One butterfly adhered for a very long time, minutes in Kay’s husband, Sonny’s hand. It was so endearing to see how this butterfly conveyed my sister Kay’s gratitude. It turns out she also taps the table to affirm her wishes.
She did that to me after I sent the photos to her daughter and spouse only, of the memorial and burial.
Kay, permit me this post, as I want to give a shout-out to your beautiful, fiercely loving, God-faithful, patient heart. I will never forget the lectures you gave me about the miracles God has manifested in your life, being a fighter against cancer for 21 years.
Thank you for showing us your grace, service with integrity and elegance, high sense of self-worth, and design aesthetics. I love you so much, Kay. We all did!
Please forgive me for this one and only post. I want to say: let it be, be in God’s embrace now, welcomed by Dad, Mom, and Ate Rose. Till we meet again, though not too soon as yet.
Happy Father’s Day to the love of my life, my fiercest critic, my supporter, my writing prompt, our healthy example/guru who exercises everyday, makes power green juices for the family since 2008, sixteen years now, enabling us to keep moving, as his brothers, CJ and Bert.
You have formed great relationships with me tandem biking, now you are passing on biking to our beautiful children, Corina and Carlo and to our grandchildren, #princess2015la and #maharlika2023la.
Thank you for leading us and driving us to faraway places for camping, walking the trails, and watching plays, concerts, and movies that I initiate buying tickets for.
We love you very much @enriquedlz and in some occasions, we roll our eyes, disbelieving your atrocious opinions, your way of baiting us into a ferocious discussion, earning the moniker of CNN vs. MSNBC. Still, we prefer you fully present in our family lives, as imperfect as it is, yet fully and truly blessed by #graceupongrace.
Happy Father’s Day to a man in motion!
We watched Mix-Mix after and then had dinner at our favorite sashimi place.
A new way of eating. Vegetables in the am with breakfast oatmeal with chocolate and blueberries, and an omelette using the leftover veggies with olive bread toast for dinner. A more relaxed way of eating, giving ourselves more time for rest and relaxation, just like the Kiwis do.
Their lives are not rushed, they are patient, sweet, and kind. They have well trimmed, well maintained sheep and cow farms and even by their roads – trees are well trimmed and roads are constantly maintained to keep them in good repair.
In grocery stores, there’s no use of plastic and trash everywhere is recycled if bottles, cans, cardboard boxes; plant and fruit peelings are composted, and hardly any for trash unless in their airports that look like a food court, a shopping corridor, rest areas with couches and play areas for children. Would LAX ever be like this – determined to keep passengers fed, rested and relaxed before on-time departure?
New Zealand is family-oriented, and families walk in their uncrowded, clean, unlittered beaches and where wrinkled, old, gray, white-haired folks are vigorously walking in their shorts and men love to wear colored scarves and flower designed shirts. They are easy going, relaxed, serious in facial demeanor yet approachable, friendly, open and no one with two faces – so so genuine! I love it here, my soul is at peace. But for my family, relatives, friends and neighbors, I would love to live here. Their television daily shows are funny, with game shows like jeopardy.
No wonder the Robertsons split their time annually between New York and New Zealand and donated 15 of their art pieces to NZ’s art museum by artists like Monet, Van Gogh.
NZ’s City Council valued the gift at $167 million, and art gallery is funded by City Council with hourly docent tours. “The sturdiest pillars of European Modernism are present in the gift – Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali, Fernand Léger, André Derain, Pierre Bonnard and Piet Mondrian.”
It is challenging not to share about my sadness, my grief, and how death seems to be a shadow for now: a family member, a human rights advocate/inspiring pilgrim, and the irreversible chance of not being there to convey my parting words.
Of late, I told a friend to write to her relative all her feelings and to put that letter next to a statue. I was actually getting advanced instruction for my heart and soul. I am glad my hubby, children and grandchildren are comforting me. Still, my tears have to flow…
It turns out that weird night when I felt so so so cold and a fleeting shadow passed by that compelled me to get up and check on the three brothers. There was no causative source for that shadow, yet I briefly saw it. May you rest in peace!
Still, I respect your wishes not to write about you, so I am writing about my feelings – how you stood up twice for me, how you lectured me on the concepts of self love, self care, and self worth.
Looking at the past family gatherings, I am grateful for your support, your quiet elegance in showing me you care about my success – back then, I measured it with a leadership award from an industry group – how shallow that feels now as I look back.
Somehow, I feel comforted that you are no longer in pain. What I am grateful for is that I earnestly offered masses for your healing while on a pilgrimage for Our Lady of Guadalupe a year ago and for each church altar photo that I shared, you texted me with so much affection, love and warmth. It felt like we were part of a prayer group.
You even connected the tilma that I gave you with a prior gift you got. Know that if I had the powers to lift your pain, I would have. But, I don’t have those powers, only the diligence to pray. For now, I am certain you are up there – guide me to do what is right all the time, and to only give love, as I serve others. I am glad we were able to say I love you many times on texts and on the phone.
There’s a sweetness even with nature. Though dreary, gray, these clouds stay for just a bit of the morning. Sun appears and stays with blue clouds until late afternoon.
In our travels, we saw rainbows early in am, twice and another in the afternoon. This is what my thank you message to my beloved family here, somewhat edited.
Beehive is my metaphor for your sweetness! Each pore is sweet and authentic, no person is of two faces!!
Thank you so much for your kiwi brand of hospitality – so overwhelmed by your sweetness, generosity, and time investment for both of us – feeling like royalty!!
There are so many places I loved: Goat Island Marine Reserve, Taupo, Rotorua’s Agrodome, Living Maori Village, Skyline Luge, Beehive Parliament, Picton, and my ultimate paradise – Orewa and Oliver’s and Canton Flavor and Pullman Hotel Airport’s 9th floor restaurant dinner, and the open, loving house cooking of Kaukapakapa with its chicharon, mussels, in Picton and ChristChurch – Bert’s sotanghon and lamb chops, and of course the vibrant, passionate story telling triggered by Dollie’s excavating question:”How did you meet?”
After an hour and a half of sharing about the kilusan it was still left unanswered – how sad that it cannot be remembered.
Thank you for being my family here! Pursue your dreams and reach for your potentials – tomorrows are never promised.
I enjoyed every second, even the fatigued moments, and the challenge of moving from airbnb to another. If we were so economically endowed, we could have a jet taking us places but we would miss observing the three lucky brothers’ driving competence and decision making prowess. How lucky they got to spend every bonding opportunity to be with each other!
I love you all and I look forward to the wedding of Sophie and John in Bali in two years or sooner.
Can it get even more beautiful than this, to be greeted by the rainbow and light rain? Washing off the dust and grime just before walking? Gosh, if I can just transport all the lovely people in my life here, this would be my desired place to live in. Folks here are happy. Go to mass and thousands are praying fervently, singing their best voices. What a great place!
