My Eulogy
I have intersecting spaces with Lolit as THE clinic as board member, while she worked there; I was a SIPA board member, and she worked there; I am PWC supporter while serving as LA City Civil Service Commissioner, I am a writer for Asian Journalist here in CA, while she was a journalist in the Philippines.
Vincent Van Gogh once said, “There maybe a great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passerby only see a wisp of smoke coming through the chimney, and go along their way.”
But, not Lolit, folks visit her and they sit by her to get warmed up by the burning flames of her heart, in her own words, fired up by the sacrifices of her comrades who gave up their futures for democracy to be restored in the Philippines.
I was one of those who sat by the fireplace of her heart, decades ago, when she was stoking the fire with new stories of caregivers who are not allowed to eat their patis and bagoong with their rice, vegetables and fish. Stories of caregivers who stay awake through the night and not paid. I shared with her the stories of the Thai garment workers 1995, rescued by then Asian American Legal Center, now Asian Americans Advancing Justice in LA, who filed a case against the slaveowners, modern garment manufacturers. I referred Lolit to the UCLA Labor Center, to seek help from the LA County District Attorney and to pass legislation for bill of rights for these caregivers.
Lolit listened, and each time I went to visit her, she has new stories of how they were organizing the caregivers, the coalitions they were forming, even recruiting me to join them in their trip to Sacramento seeking dialogues with Assemblypersons and to pass bills for better working conditions.
Fast forward today, we are all warmed up by Lolit’s passion of loving each one of us, each and every one of us with light in our hearts. That was what she saw and that bright light she stoked with stories of better humanity.
To me, she led without being in the limelight, she led with humility opening up to others to lead, she led with a full recognition of her self-value-a mother, a wife, a community organizer.
She personified grace, a heart that was alive with love and a talent that she spared nothing and all to share to serve and to connect with others.
May we be the grace, the flaming hearts of love that she lit in us to see the humanity in the caregivers, in the household help, in the workers, that when folks approach us, they are warmed up by the fires burning in our hearts with love and concern for others.