In the midst of world economic uncertainty and my family's journey to healing, I am pausing for a while to give thanks to you Lord for being the Word that became flesh to dwell among us. Your birth was the starting point of our heavenly Father's plan for redemption. 
I remember when I was a young boy and were still living in our first house in San Juan Malolos, my kuya and I would occasionally fetch water from the nearby barrio deep well manual pump. As if carrying two pails of water at a time was not difficult enough, we had to balance ourselves as we walk through a narrow and rough “pilapil” or fishpond banks which was the only way to reach our house then. One careless mis-step would lead us downward to the murky water.
At first, I was very nervous to carry those pails of water so much so that whenever I reached home the water level on each pail would nearly be reduced to half due to mindless spills. But as time went by, I noticed that not only have I taken this task with ease and with minimal spillovers, I also realized that I am no longer afraid to do it.
The weight of the two pails never changed but I have grown muscles to confidently carry them.
As our family remembers tomorrow the fortieth day of Maia’s untimely passing away, my wife and I realize as well that the pain and depth of loss is not diminishing each passing day. She still wakes up in the early morning often with the melancholic feeling of losing our daughter at her very young age and I, at times, still catch myself staring into nothingness as I start to remember Maia in all her fondest moments and all my washed-away dreams for her. We still fight back tears whenever we talk about her and every time we see a girl toddler with a striking semblance to Maia’s physical features.
But the journey to our healing is on-going as well and we are developing spiritual and emotional “muscles” to help us move on and carry our heavy burden. We thank God for these “muscles-formers” like parents and well-meaning friends who keep us company with their presence, messages and prayers.
Everything is becoming clearer (and more personal) now about what Jesus said to those who wish to follow Him.
Mark 8:34 – “….Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
With our faith being tested, my wife and I are looking forward to that day when we can confidently say, “Where to now, our Lord? Here we are with our cross.”
Because by that time, we can never be afraid of anything else.
Nothing but love will stand between us and Him.
PS. Thanks ANTie Ela for the inspiration to write this article :)
Tomorrow is December 8, 2008 and it is simply heartwarming to note that Maia’s 40th day falls on the same day of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. I smile at my heavenly imagination of her playing on the lap of our Blessed Mother. She is, after all, our little angel in heaven.
Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat.
Maraming beses na po nating narinig ang mga pangungusap na ito – Ang pinaka importanteng magagawa ng isang tao sa buhay niya ay hindi kung gaano siya tatagal sa mundong na malusog at kapaki-pakinabang, hindi sa kung gaano siya tatalino at makakalikom ng iba’t-ibang uri ng pilak ng karangalan, hindi sa kung gaanong laki ng yaman ng mundo ang kanyang paghihirapang kitain at hindi sa kung gaano ka-impluwensya or ka-sikat siya sa kanyang magiging buhay pangangalakal. Ang pinaka importanteng magagawa ng isang tao sa buhay niya ay kung gaano siya magmamahal sa kapwa niya.
Mga minamahal po naming kapamilya, kamag-anak at kaibigan – ako po ay nasa harap ninyo upang patotohanan ang pangungusap pong ito.
Tayo po ay nagtitipon ngayong araw na ito sa isang kadahilanan – ang pagpanaw, paggunita at huling pamamaalam sa bunso naming anak na si Elisha Maire Cueto Santos o sa mas kilala nating palayaw na si Maia.
Si Maia po ay ipinanganak via caesarian section nuong ika-5 ng Enero taong 2007 sa Asian Hospital sa Alabang. Bago po kayo mag react na – “Uy mayaman pala itong sina Rowin at na-afford ang isa sa pinaka-mahal na ospital ng Pilipinas” - ay nais ko lang pong ipaalam sa inyo na patuloy pa po naming hinuhulugan ang maternity loan ko sa aming kumpanya at 25% interest rate per annum. Kaya naman po ay hindi po kami dapat kainggitan kungdi kaawaan. Biro lang po.
Sa kadahilanan na ako po ay kinakailangan bumalik agad ng China ay agad din po naming inayos ang kanyang binyag makaraan ng 2 linggo na aming ginanap sa makasaysayang Barasoin Church noong ika-21 ng nasabing buwan. Ang kanya pong mga ninong at ninang ay aming “malalapit” na mga kapatid, pinsan at kaibigan. “Malalapit” as in malapit puntahan sa araw ng Pasko para makalikom ng aginaldo.
Ng si Maia ay mahigit isa’t kalahating buwan na ay isinama na siya ni Menchie at Zek sa pagbalik ng China sa Shajing.
First time niyang nasakay ng eroplano.
First time niyang ma-experience ang tinatawag nilang Spring season – o tagsibol sa tagalog.
Marami po siyang nakitang pinturado at plastic na itlog sa kanyang first Easter egg hunting. Sa kanya po napunta ang mga itlog at sa amin ni Zek ang mga chocolates na nasa loob ng mga plastic na itlog
Natutunan po niya ang kanyang first time na pagdapa nuong siya ay nasa apat na kabuwanan.
First time din niyang makuhang humagikgik o tumawa nung mga panahong iyon.
First time niyang makasakay ng bus, kotse, train at hi-speed ferry sa mga sumunod na mga buwan.
Nariyan din po ang una niyang pag-enjoy sa pag-upo sa kanyang stroller at motorsiklong de-baterya ni kuya Zek niya.
Pinagsikapan din po ng kanyang mommy na agad matutunan ang kanyang mga first na pag-gapang, pag-tayo at ang paglakad.
Dumating po ang kanyang first autumn at kasunod ang winter sa pagtatapos ng taon.
Naranasan din po niya ang maraming mga regalo sa kanyang first na
At dahil nga po na siya ay babae ay maraming first time na kasuotan din ang nasubukan ni Menchie sa kanya – pinag-suot siya ng damit kuneho, anghel, prinsesa atbp.
Nuong mag-iisang taon siya ay muli kaming bumalik ng Pilipinas upang ipag-daos po ang kanyang kaarawan na aming ginanap sa clubhouse ng Tahanan Village sa may
Nitong nakaraang Septembre ay tuluyan na kami nakalipat ng tirahan from Shenzhen to Zhuhai. Ang Shenzhen po ay isa sa mga top financial and industrial cities ng
Namaalam po si Maia sa amin, sa atin, nitong nakaraang ika-30 ng Oktubre taong kasalukuyan.
Marahil ay may ilan sa inyo ang nagtatanong sa inyong sarili kung nasaan ang aking patotoo na ang pinaka-importante sa buhay ng tao ay ang magmahal ng kapwa niya.
Narito po.
Si Maia po ay nabuhay ng 22 buwan lamang.
At dahil po sa maigsing buhay niya ay wala siyang tinanggap na anumang award sa anumang akademya o palakasan.
At dahil po sa murang edad niya ay hindi niya mararanasan ang magkaroon ng de-kalibreng kurso na magtutulak sa katuparan ng kanyang mga pangarap.
Hindi po siya kumita ng kahit isang kusing ng pera sa sarili niyang kayod.
Wala po siyang impluwensya o lakas na gawin ang anumang gustuhin niya.
Siya po ay “totally dependent” pa sa amin na kanyang mga magulang.
So ano po ba ang naging misyon ni Maia sa aming mga buhay?
Siya po ay nagdala ng maraming ngiti, tuwa at masasayang ala-ala na aming babauning mag-asawa hanggang sa huli naming hininga sa mundong ibabaw.
Siya lang po ang nakapag bigay ng ibayong tuwa sa kuya Zek niya dahil may kalaro na po siya anumang oras na sila ay parehong gising at nangungulit.
Si Maia po ang nagdala ng pagmamahal sa aming pamilya na tangi o uniquely-by Maia lamang.
Si Maia po ay nagmahal at minahal kaya po siya as masayang nasa langit na sa mga oras na ito.
Kaya naman po kaming tatlo na iniwan niya ay nanunumpa sa kanyang harapan at sa harapan ng Diyos na ang pagmamahal niyang ipinadama ay hindi lamang mananahan sa aming mga puso kungdi aming ipapa-mudmod sa ibang tao sa tulong ng biyaya ng Maykapal.
Hindi po namin ilalagay sa ala-ala lamang si Maia.
Isasabuhay po namin si Maia namin.
“Maia” na ang bagong ibig sabihin ay “malayang nagmamahal”.
Pagpalain po tayo ng Diyos.
Salamat sa Diyos.
Our eldest brother, Kuya Rommel is spearheading the establishment of our family’s Maia Foundation as a fitting remembrance of our beloved child’s love for life. It aims to provide assistance and cooperation with existing charitable institutions as well as other self-initiated projects to give hope and share love to our least fortunate brothers and sisters. Our initial outreach will start with the following projects:
Thanks to a good friend of mine, Allan Joseph Tantoco, who lives in
It is in our times of deepest need that we find the depths to which the tenderness and grace of Christ can reach.
For who alone but Christ can bring us comfort and assurance with His all-embracing love.
Who alone but Christ can understand our sorrow and wipe away our tears.
Who alone but Christ can walk with us through that darkness and bring us into the light of a new dawn.
Who alone but Christ can give us hope and the certainty that one day we will understand more clearly the things that are mysteries to us now.
- Roy Lessin
Our beloved Maia is home now.
She was laid to rest last November 11, 2008 at
As the new challenge beckons us to take the next necessary step which is to move on with hope and clinging to God’s promise, I can’t help but remember all the wonderful and kind-hearted persons that God sent our way to make sure that we have enough spiritual, emotional, moral and even financial support to help us go through this heart-breaking loss.
There were a lot of people who sent their well-meaning condolences and offers of help via SMS or international phone calls.
There were people who sacrificed their working time to rush to our side at the time that our son is under observation and to help us in all legal process for the return of Maia’s remains.
There were a lot of people, family members, relatives, close friends and even mere acquaintances, who took time to write personal emails sympathizing with us and re-assuring us of God’s divine plan for us.
There was a priest-friend who wrote such an uplifting email with promise of a special mass offering for our Maia in one of his Sunday masses.
There was my kuya who worked closely with us in arranging all needed proceedings for our wished cremation of our daughter upon arrival in
There was countless number of people whom I have not met for ages surprisingly coming during the wake and offering condolences.
There was a Kfam brother who composed a very lovely poem and others who makes heart-warming dedications for her.
There were people from KerygmaFamily, Couples for Christ, Parish Lay Ministers, Knight of Columbus and Third Order of Carmelites who came in droves to pray.
There were people who cooked and served food and snacks to those who visit the wake.
There were family members who took turns and stayed up late to give Maia some company while we get some quick rest.
There were people who offered prayer petitions and mass offerings by sending us mass card intentions.
There were some people who brought flowers in white bouquet arrangement, colorful wreaths and single pots of orchids.
There were a lot of people who individually or collectively shared financial assistances.
There were some people who, by their own testimonial experience, have shared their pain of losing their love one in the past and how they recovered from it henceforth.
There were people who pray and wept with us as we bring Maia into her final resting place.
Their words, thoughts, actions and prayers mean a lot to us and were actually our source of comfort and inspiration during our time of bereavement.
And so to our dearest family members, relatives and friends, please accept my family’s sincerest thanks to each one of you. Truly, God has spoken to us by whispering his intense and pragmatic love through all of you. His presence is undeniable because of you all.
We feel so much blessed to have known you all and we believe that our Maia has touched your lives in a way that only you can ponder.
Nameless people I chose you all to be but you will never be faceless to us because you have touched our hearts beyond words.
God bless us all.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” – Matthew 5:4
Her shrieking giggles that I hear every time I come home from work are gone forever.
Her heart-melting grins and smiles from out-of-the-blue will be sorely missed.
Her stress-busting music-triggered dances have reached the final performance.
Her spirit-nourishing embraces and kisses are what I will hopelessly long for to feel again.
The Lord has called back our angel into heaven in an abrupt and totally unexpected moment.
A high-fever on the eve of October 29 became the prelude of her unforeseen return to her Maker in the following daybreak.
The hurt that this painful reality has brought to my wife and I is beyond words and will surely linger until the grace of God finally succeeds in infusing His peace and joy back into our hearts. The time for us now is to grieve but with our fervent hope of being comforted especially during times when the agonizing longing to be with our Maia is strongest. The odds are stacked against us and the doors to doubt or bitterness are wide-open, yet all we can do is to pray that we are able to embrace with a loving trust whatever the Lord‘s ordained purpose is for this trial in our family. We do not pray for complete understanding but for a peaceful and heartfelt assurance that we will be fine, because we are not at the moment.
The Lord, however and in His infinite wisdom, has yet another surprise under His sleeve because as I read through the end topics of Max Lucado’s book entitled “Experiencing the Heart of Jesus”, the Lord has spoken His word through his writings and I can hear Him paraphrase them to me.
“Rowin, am I less of a good God for having called your beloved daughter?”
“Is my goodness lessened by the fact that your strongest plea, begging and bargaining as time expires on her received a “no” response from me?”
“My son, am I still deserving of your love and faithfulness for not letting you keep her so you can work to build all your dreams and aspirations for her?”
In all honesty, I would never know how to reply had He asked me those questions at the time I was tightly embracing the lifeless body of our daughter as I rush her to the nearest hospital only to find out eventually that she is indeed gone. I was moaning and crying in anguish and pain so I am not sure I would have even heard His voice. I was nearly oblivious of His presence while my wife transfers the remains of our daughter and I was scampering to have our eldest undergo a battery of diagnostics because he also have the same fever which actually manifested earlier than our daughter. Our anxieties are untold.
Lord, I am sorry for having doubted your grace during the critical span when you needed my firm conviction and decision to accept your plan for us no matter how painful it is.
Lord, I am sorry because for that particular moment, I almost forgot that you have suffered first for us before you invited us to share in your sufferings.
Lord, I am sorry if I did not make the choice to accept your grace which is sufficient for my family at that moment.
At this time, my wife’s spirit and mine are being replenished with the caring support of our families, relatives and friends whose promises of prayers are over-whelming.
At this moment, I can answer the Lord’s questions with a better perspective at the circumstances surrounding our situation.
No Lord, you are not less of a good God even after you called our daughter back and a brief 22-month life here on earth.
No Lord, your goodness is not lessened despite your firm “no” answer to my desperate prayers. Comprehending your purpose is not what I seek but contentment in your promise I must present to you.
And Yes Lord, you are still deserving of my love and faithfulness even if our dreams for our daughter vanished into nothingness.
Your grace is enough.
Blessed is Your name forever.
“But be happy that you are sharing in Christ’s sufferings so that you will be happy and full of joy when Christ comes again in glory.” – 1 Peter 4:13
One day I decided to clean our water cooler inside-out from those thick dusts and dirt that have accumulated since I bought it about 2 years ago. So I took out the air-filter first and then the water strainer made of nylon net but then came a tricky part. There are 8 screws fixed into 8 2-inch deep screw studs. My small screwdriver could hardly reach the pan head to turn the screw counter-clockwise in loosening it. After some more minutes, a basin of sweat and a couple of sighs, I then remember something. I went straight to my tool cabinet, opened a plastic case and whoolah! Therein lies my 16.8V battery operated drill with a long screw tip coupling that fit perfectly into the screw stud holes. Now, with relative ease, all I needed was to push the screw tip in and pull the switch. It was done in less than a minute.From this experience I was reminded of two important life-lessons.
1. Pause and Plan
Most technical problems in
The same holds true for our life-decisions that were hastily based on emotions. How many marriages are sputtering and collapsing because one or even both sides have neglected to give deliberate thoughts and preparations prior to that lifetime commitment? How many employees remained unemployed after hurriedly jumping off from their jobs that they perceived to be under-appreciating their values? How many business persons are trying to recuperate from heavy financial losses after mindlessly investing in business that is nowhere near their forte? How many students have flunked their exams because they see themselves as intellectually gifted to fail the test and simply browsed their reviewer. If only we took the time out to discern well and practice foresight, a lot of problems would have been avoided or at the very least, solve at the earliest stage.
Sadly, the saying that “haste makes waste” is true and for some of us, realizations do come late and the damage is already done.
2. There is a right tool for each particular need.
In one of our manufacturer, there was a worker assigned to fix and clamp the cables into an insulated connector. But since his supervisor did not provide him any electrical or pneumatic clamping tool, he tried to do it with a hand plier. “He is resourceful”, you might say but the end-result was that a large percentage of his work output is defective because the wires can be easily detached which will cause safety problem in the product. Rework inevitably has to be done.
Indeed, no matter how we try to do something entirely by ourselves, we are likely to fail if that thing needed to be done requires the right tool to be accomplished. Have you ever tried hammering a nail into a wood by your bare hand and come out successful? Even McGyver uses the tools he sees lying around to awe us with his vast and deep knowledge about materials and their usage.
For single person that are planning to get married, it is for their best interest that they devote time to mature spiritually, financially, emotionally, physically because these will be the tools he will need to keep that marriage intact. For workers that are disenchanted at their present working condition, it is best that they equipped themselves with increased knowledge and training about their dream employment. Business, no matter how unpredictable they may be, is best attended by persons who invested their time and learned talent to a particular product or service. And a student’s best chance to pass the examination will never be about his stock knowledge but his timely and dedicated review of the examination scopes.
So the hammer will always be for the nail. OK, so there may be other “similar tools” that can somehow drive the nail down but it will never be your bare hand.
Simply put, right tool means right (and best) results.
My two handy dandy tips.
God bless.
In one word, one can describe the situation of our world nowadays.
Uncertain
Because if are to believe what the international media is broadcasting everyday for the past weeks or so regarding the domino-like bankruptcy declarations or government buy-outs of some of the biggest investment firms and banks like Fannie May, Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, AIG, Washington Mutual and Lehmann Brothers, the financial sectors are indeed on the verge of a downward spiral. Stock markets are plunging on record-highs without any relief in sight even with the massive interventions by each country’s government to assure investors of steadying the situation.
In one word, one can describe what is sorely lacking nowadays in the financial sector.
Confidence
If the slide continues, analysts are forecasting then this period might as well be the worst world recession and depression that we will experience in modern times. And just a mention of the word “recession” has been sending fear into the backbones of the business sector that will of course have bad repercussions to the millions and millions of people they employ. When this happens, the common person who has not a slight idea of what is on-going will in the end carry the brunt and suffer all the consequences of the mistakes of a collective few.
In one word, one can describe the root cause of all this mayhem.
Greed
What started out to be the fulfillment of a simple American dream of owning his very own house has escalated (and mutated) into a complex labyrinth of buying, selling, pooling assets, securitization and all those mumbo-jumbo financial jargons we now hear everyday where the end result is a lot of mortgage defaults leading to huge losses for the banks and the so-called investment firms. Now these billion losses are propping out within and outside the
In one word, one can describe what a normal person like you and me can do at this time.
Hope
I have a trickle investment in mutual funds of a subsidiary firm of one of the ailing big companies which, whether I pull-out or not would not really make of a difference but I will decide to keep it untouched just the same as my simple contribution to stabilize the crisis and all the time hoping that it will not be for naught. I do hope that those who have excess wealth do the same or better yet, do more by doubling their investments to keep the fearful market afloat. I do hope that businesses keep their daily productivity though all these turmoil so that not many people will be unemployed. We do hope that the end of the crisis is near.
In one word, one can describe what concrete action everyone must make at this time.
Pray
In one word, one can describe what our attitude should be towards God despite this trying time.
Trust
May God lead us through these troubling times.
We encourage everyone to please help us pray everyday, through this prayer, at your convenient time until November 28, 2008. THANK YOU! GOD BLESS you and your family! – K-Fam/Feast Intercessory Ministry
Dear Loving Father, we give You praise, honor and glory. We offer You our endeavors for our Kerygma Conference on November 29-30, 2008. May our humble service be a fragrant offering to You. May it please You and put delight in Your heart.
Dear Father, we lift up to You this whole activity and everything connected to it. May all, the needs in all areas, be provided in time. May the place be filled with Your children. We pray for openness in heart, mind and spirit of all who will be there. We pray for conversion and transformation of everyone present. May the venue be filled up that this event may bless many.
We humbly ask You, Oh Dear Father, for Your good Spirit to fill the entire place, Your Spirit of Love, Joy, Belongingness, Conviction, Honesty, Peace, Worship, Zeal, Enthusiasm, Unity, Renewal, Truth, Order, and Belief.
We also plea to You, our Dear Father, for Your grace to release Your gifts upon Your people on that Holy Event. May everyone allow themselves to be open to receive Your blessings and miracles, that they may experience Your Holy Presence and Your abundant love.
We pray, that as they receive, they will also give more than what they receive. May they spread and share to others the glory of what You will do to them on those days.
May You be so glorified, Oh Dear Father in our Kerygma Conference.
This we ask in Jesus Holy Name. Amen.
Our Father……
Hail Mary……
Glory Be……
