Parents of our parents

Yesterday was All Soul’s Day and many members of the Gabutina clan met up at Himlayang Cemetery in Quezon City to pay their respects to their parents. Tessa and Boyet had brought the ashes of their own parents, who had bought recently passed away.

Chief’s parents, including, myself and Chief, and Manny and his three boys, (Juluis, Juami and Jag) Minnie (Chief’s younger sister) and Tito Ed, first visited Lola Trining, who died June 2002. Photo shows Chief and Manny Gabutina.

She died a year after my own dad died, while Chief and I were still living and working in Vietnam.

There were much fewer people now at Himlayang, than last year. The long holiday weekend brought out the people in spreads, and probably, some opted to take a real holiday in Tagaytay or Baguio or even Hongkong. But stronger Christian and family tradition still brings families together to pay their respects to loved ones who have “moved on ahead.”

Later this morning, Chief and I would visit my own dad, the late Hector Velez.

At Himlayang yesterday, I saw one old woman, probably in her mid-60s praying (and crying) quietly as she looked down on her dead. Probably, a husband. I couldn’t didn’t take a picture but her image is vivid in my mind.