A Friend Returns Home

Yesterday a long-time family friend passed away. She'd suddenly had an aneurysm the week before and had been struggling to hold on for the past week.

I don't feel it's right for me to write about her because I don't feel that I knew her well enough to give her a proper tribute. She was close to my mom and had been dear friends with my grandmother but for a good portion of my life I just considered her another one of my mother's Filipino friends (of which she has many.) I knew that she cared for me but I don't think I realized how much she cared for me until I got engaged to Brenden and she told my mom she wanted to give me a bridal shower. I was surprised. I thought it was very generous of her. It was very generous of her.

She held the shower at her home and we had a Filipino feast. She insisted we use her fine china and I was terrified I would drop my plate. She had her husband in the kitchen cooking up food almost the entire evening to keep the table full. Her gift to me that evening, besides the shower itself, was a beautiful crystal vase from Mikasa so that I would always have somewhere to keep fresh flowers. I don't remember exactly what each person gave me for my bridal showers and my wedding but I remember that she gave me that vase because the evening I received it she'd decorated her own home with fresh flowers in vases all over the house. It was a thoughtful gift. It was obviously something that meant a lot to her. It wasn't something to simply make my life more convenient, like a fancy appliance. The entire purpose of the vase was to help beautify my home. She just wanted to help me make my home a little more colorful, brighter, and beautiful.

I think my life and the lives of my family members are just a little more colorful, brighter, and beautiful because of her.

Thank you, Catherine, for your friendship, love, and beauty.
We love you and we miss you.