We'll never have experiences like mom's who lived at a time of technological transitions. She shared with us these few short stories which were quite funny. 

Her first movie. She relayed to us that her first movie was at a movie house with wooden chairs. At the end of the movie, her companions were all going out except her. They asked her why and she said that she was still waiting for the stars to come out from behind the screen :)

Her first ice cream. She said that her first taste of ice cream was from a mamang sorbetero. I think its either vanilla or cheese. She said that our current ice creams can't compare in the taste of this "dirty ice cream".

Her first phone conversation. She told us that she taught her companion at the house had gone crazy because she was talking to herself. Her companion introduced her to the telephone. It was funny that they had "phone pals" at that time. Her phone pal then was a guy from an architectural firm. Believe it or not :)
 

LYDIA FALCONITIN BUENAVENTURA, my wife, your life with us will always be remembered. You have been the perfect lady to everyone.

You will always be remembered for the different things you are to one and all.

To all of us here today, you are the woman who loved your family, your relatives, your friends, but most of all, you loved God.

To the church, you faithfully serve and support in your quiet caring way.

To your husband, you never gave up in faith that I will someday join you, as your love for me remains constantly strong.

To your children, Emily and Joshua, Elsie andBari, Elwin and Cherry and grandchildren Nickole, Nico, Nina, Isha and Ise, you were a good mother and lola. You gave them the very best in life. Your role in their lives will forever remain exemplary.

To your brother Oscar and his wife, to you sisters Cheleng, Ligreng, Ruby and their husbands and families, you were a caring and loving sister. You were always there for everyone, to encourage peace and togetherness.

To your friends and neighbors you also took the role of peacemaker, even in the long period when you served with RVHAP Board and in the Barangay’s Lupon Tagapamayapa. 

You were always there to give help and advice to everyone you meet.

You remained a woman of respect and of good cheer until your passed away. I am so honored to have a dear and loving wife.

It pains me to lose you but I trust that God knows best.

We wish you farewell as you join our departed family members and all the saints in the bosom of God Almighty and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. You finished well and I know were welcome in the heavenly gates by a company of angels and God’s open hands.

Let us rise with a warm hand of applause for my wife.

Thank you everyone for sharing and celebrating with us the life of my dearly loved LYDIA. 

It took so long for me to write this.

It is so difficult to measure a lifetime of loving memories and to define what really happened in our lives with mom at our side.

We’ll miss the warm hugs and kisses.

We’ll miss you at your place in the dining table. We always eat together.

We’ll miss you at our trips and eating out. We love to go around and discover.

We’ll miss you reading out loud from the newspaper.

We’ll miss you sharing the happenings at Riverside. Mom got so involved in social affairs.

We’ll miss you waking up so early. You’d rearrange the furniture and clean the house so we’d wake up to a beautiful home.

We’ll miss your cooking. I told you to write down every dish you invented.

We’ll miss all the crazy times we’d laugh till we cried.

****

For now as we wait to meet again we will comfort ourselves with these words:

John 14:1-3 Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.

****

Lord, thank you for the time that you gave us with our mom. Thank you for blessing us with such a wonderful mother.

As we grieve, thank you Lord for the hope that endures. She is in an exceedingly better place.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen