Early childhood memories of "May Flower Festivals to Mary" at the Sta. Ana Catholic Church always bring smiles as I picture myself in a flowing white dress offering flowers to Our Lady of the Abandoned, the patroness of the district. Since my elder sister Lourding (may she rest in peace) was one of the organizers of the yearly devotion, Beth and I were almost always daily participants. Only girls were traditionally considered "sagalas" so that my younger brother Freddie acted as staunch supporter.
May 12th is the feast day of Our Lady of the Abandoned or as She is addressed by the old folks," Nuestra Senora de los Desamparados." Many miracles have been attributed to her by hundreds of residents and devotees. During World War II when Japanese forces occupied Manila, the Sta. Ana church was saved from becoming an army headquarters. During their first night's stay, the whole church was deluged by so many snakes which caused the soldiers to flee. Many believed that the strange phenomenon happened due to the intervention of the Blessed Mother. So was the fact that the District of Sta Ana was the only one not burned in Manila by the retreating Japanese and became the haven for refugees from the surrounding areas.
So when the town fiesta comes, Sta. Ana residents prepare for it several months ahead. Visits of relatives and friends from all over Manila and even from the provinces were earmarked on this day. Every home was lavished with so much mouth-watering cuisine which included the crispy "lechon" or roast pig and a variety of native sweets. The proverbial Filipino hospitality was literally on display to the core on this day! Various entertainment like musical bands and singing contests, magic shows and acrobatic stumts fill the daytime hours at the town plaza. At night, the religious procession of the image of Our Lady through most of the streets in Sta. Ana was the fitting finale of the glorious fiesta! I remember the many times my sisters and I participated in the yearly procession as a sign of our devotion to Our Lady of the Abandoned.
May is the birthday month of three of my seven grandchildren - Melanie Mary on May 3rd, Tiffany Anne on May 12th and Michael on May 25th. Celebrations of birthday anniversaries always include family reunions with so much food and the inevitable varieties of sweets, both native and otherwise. Karaoke singing by both those who really can belt tunes in their high C's and those who simply enjoy singing despite unwieldy melodic detours provide limitless laughter and joy to everyone. Even now, I cannot help smiling every time I remember the song, "Ang Bikining Itim" (Black Bikini) by the group with Cora Paras as lead singer. Nor do I forget Bobby's rendition of "Sa Lumang Simbahan" (In the Old Church) with Tanduay, a Filipino alcoholic drink interposes within the lyrics. Of course, no family gathering is complete without my sister Beth, a May-born,too, singing "Gaano Kita Kamahal" (How Do I Love You) with Marissa's dexterous piano accompaniment. The song, "Memories" always graced parties by the duet of Noel and Marissa while Cielo belts the melancholy strains of Lionel Richie. Christina's breathtaking rendition of "Amazing Grace" always brought tears to my eyes. Danny Boy has always been associated with "Delilah" just as Maricar with the power-wielding, "I Will Survive." Oh, how I really enjoyed, and still do, birthday celebrations.
The bells tolled a sad note for me on May 2, 2003 since this day marked the chilly "Adieu" of Papa, my beloved husband of 47 years. The tremendous shock and disbelief caused terrible pain and deep anguish that pushed me into a state of surrealistic numbness. Is this true? Is this parting real?What happens now? And many other whys and wherefores clouded my mind. I was thrust into a dimension so difficult to unravel, so heart-rending to piece together! "Be still. Know that I am God." were the whispered message I heard the moment I learned of Papa's demise. Knowing that I had the assurance of God tempered the outburst of quelled emotions. I remembered Psalm 34, " God is close to the broken-hearted and those who are crushed in spirit, He saves!" It pulled me through the most difficult phase of my life that followed. Somehow I managed to walk through it all the days thereafter. A strange impact of sadness and "aloneness" hovered over me. It was the same feeling I experienced at the loss of my Mother in 1968.
Remember how I often say, "I am one of God's favorites ?" True, indeed! Immediately after taking away someone I dearly loved, the good Lord gave me someone to love anew. He gave me Melanie, Cielo's youngest daughter, born on May 3rd, right after the day of Papa's "Goodbye." Who will ever consider this coincidence? To say that my spirits were lifted up would be an understatement. And to invigorate and enrich His palliative measure, He made me witness Marissa's daughter, Diana, graduate from Grade VIII as Class Valedictorian immediately the next month of the same year.! To top it all, God allowed Diana and I to go on a trip to France, Portugal and Spain a few weeks after her graduation in 2003.
This year, 2011, the month of May brought me something wonderfully beautiful! Marissa, Christina and I went to New York to witness Diana, my eldest grand-daughter, graduate from the St. John's Catholic University with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Biology at the top of her class - Magna Cum Laude. My joy and pride soared to infinitismal heights! My praise and thanksgiving to our Almighty God and our Mother Mary was as thunderous as the volley of shots on a July 4th celebration!
Now, you know why May is a special month for me! Hasta la vista!!!
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