She hailed from my place in Bukidnon. I heard of her name lots of times when we were kids since she garnered (many times i guess:-) ) the championship award at Del Monte, Bukidnon singing competition. I should say ...matunog ang pangalan nya when we were kids. When she transferred to our apartment in college, I was a little apprehensive dahil baka sosyal nga siya (hahahahaha sorry Carl..that was just then...). But of course, it was a lot different knowing her to be so down-to-earth with all our chikkas and open forums in the apartment, the praying together of rosary, the watching together of late night movies and many others pa. I admired her also with how she was able to balance her time with studies, BF Dennis and her talented group that regularly sang at a bar. I also envied her a little that she was regularly visited by her mom at the apartment. Unlike us ni gay that we got only visited by our mama in our dreams (hahahhahaha kalag na bitaw dead ball na baya mama).
Our college years ran swiftly with almost the entire apartment "team" (char lang) graduated together in college including of course Carla. After graduation, I rarely heard of her except when I heard that she already got married and sadly also when I heard that she fell ill and her younger daughter Robin Faith. I was not really there in every major and minor events of Carla's life but my chikka sister Gay updated me with everything and honestly broke my heart every step of that painful journey (every time i read Carla's account, i couldn't stop crying...why man oi huhuhuhu). And, in our random meetings at the mall, I was able to get some glimpses of her story and how she struggled especially when Robin was brought to US for treatment without her at her side but had to bear all that for her daughter to be well ( We always had such "short and sweet" emotional sharings...actually not really sweet...painful talaga).
I felt deeply overwhelmed by the whole thing imagining the process of how God was able to fashion each experience or experiences we have to fit in to our "formation" here on earth. I keep on wondering and tearfully recalling how such experience be placed in a package given to one person named Carla. I mean I only got to know her as a friend way back in college but I did not know such strength of a woman to come out due to such painful experience of being ill and losing someone so dear to her.
I really prodded her to write. Since I started this Little Heroes column, she always came in my thoughts and heart. Perhaps God was really pushing me to invite Carla to write her story which she just did (heheh lipay ayo ko ...ako ra man gihapon cge hilak). She just crafted a beautiful story of her life which you can check in this site - http://mygoodiebox.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html -.
When I invited her to write her story, she said "di balo ngano hero ko oi" (hahahhaha bitaw lingaw ko kang Carla..i hope she is aware that she is that brave:-)). But I just want to announce to the world that there is such great strength in each of us. And they are best tested when situation presents itself just like that of Carla's.
Carla is a hero with regards to strength and plight to stand up for life - for daughter Robin, for her love for Dennis and Maia, her love for herself to continue living despite her illness and I believe her deep and immeasurable love for God as she and the entire family continues to thrive in God's business through their plan of putting up a foundation for Robin. Who would ever think in the past, I mean when we were still in college...we may have laughed this whole idea heheheh that one day one of us would ever decide to engage in such beautiful experience of starting such a project.
Robin is truly such an angel that moved the entire family to be able to do beautiful works to the community. Or, to lead her mom to be more passionately involved and engaged with life. And lastly, to be able to find that real and true strength of a woman, mom, and a wife - A REAL AND TRUE HERO OF LIFE.
God bless you Carl. May you continue to flourish and extend your boundaries with Dennis and Maia.:-) ...with your angel Robin hehe imagine nako siya dula sa langit haskang biboha...:-)
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