Happy Birthday, Lola

Today would have been my Lola Juliana's 105th birthday. Sadly, she died almost 18 years ago. Her husband and my lolo, Gregorio Zamuco, lived for another 17 years, only finally saying goodbye to all of us last year just a couple months shy of his 107th birthday.

Charly's middle name - Julianne - is after her great-grandmother. Even in the ultra-sound pictures, I could see that Charly had inherited my lola's chin.

It doesn't feel like 18 years since lola passed away. I still remember how her face used to light up when the whole family would come over to Los Banos, as well as her home-cooked dishes and the fruits she used to make 'pabaon' to us on the way back to Manila from Los Banos. How she used to tut-tut and shake her head when my dad always arrived late (thus also making the whole family late) to yet another of our reunions. Most of all, I can still see how she would sit on the front porch, her hand tucked into lolo's hand.

On one of our visits, she gave my dad a small grafting that he planted in our backyard. That grafting is now a big, solid tree that doesn't flower much year round.

But every year, around her birthday (and mine - for my birthday is only 6 days away from hers), that tree comes in full bloom.

A sure reminder that she is still watching over us from somewhere up there.

Happy Birthday, Lola. We miss you guys.