‘Mamang’

My mother-in-law, Mrs. Sevilla Lorenzo, passed away last Sunday, 10 days short of her 89th birthday. She had just eaten lunch and asked her caregiver to take her back to her bed. Before they could reach her bed, her head just dropped, and she was lifeless. The village paramedics, who came within a few minutes after our cook called them, tried to revive her, but to no avail.

Mamang, as we fondly call her, died in a manner she had always prayed for—silently, in peace. No gasping of breath, no excruciating agony, no prolonged hospitalization, no tubes inserted into her body, no mechanical devices to help her breathe.

Just a week earlier, she was so happy during the advance birthday celebration her children organized for her. Her three children abroad all came and together with my wife, they had a most memorable family reunion. I’ve never seen her happier, praising and thanking God for making possible such a happy occasion.

That is the legacy I will always remember Mamang for. Up to her last day, her faith in God was solid as a rock; and she was always filled with gratitude no matter what the circumstances were. She counted her blessings and thanked God daily for each one of them.

Her closing prayers after our family devotional worship at home on Sabbath evenings were long, profuse with gratitude for the blessings the family had received; and filled with supplications that each member of the family would always be protected with God’s loving embrace. I believe God always hears and grants the prayers of a loving mother for her children.

Blessings

Every morning as I passed by her room before I go to work, she would give me her blessings, as Mama, my mother, used to give me when she was still alive. I thank God for my good health; and I thank Mama and Mamang for always having prayed for my good health and that of my wife Becky and our daughters Shelly and Abbie.

Another legacy Mamang left us is our responsibility to take care of our health. For her, it’s not an option, but our responsibility as stewards of our physical bodies. She has always taught her children and grandchildren that we’re just stewards of all the things that God has entrusted to us in this world. And that includes our own bodies. We have no right to do anything that will do harm to our physical bodies.

So, engaging in vices such as smoking, excessive drinking of alcohol, living an unhealthy lifestyle are all reflective of failure in our stewardship role that we would be answerable for. She was a vegetarian since the first time I met her; and she would rather not eat, than eat any meat product.

Mamang has always referred to the Bible, as her reason for being a vegetarian. God has commanded man to only eat fruits and vegetables. “Then God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’” (Genesis 1:29)

Mamang was also an exercise buff. She was never sedentary. She took care of most house chores when she was still in the States. When my father-in-law died several years ago, we convinced her to come home and we had the privilege to have her stay with us. Though weakened by age, she was still doing her daily walks and light exercises regularly. She would teach catechism to children living in the slums every Sabbath afternoon until her frail body would no longer allow her to walk.

Just staying at home

She never wanted to be a cause for any inconvenience to her children or grandchildren. When she was stronger, she would join us when we dined out on weekends. But when she was already wheelchair-borne, she would insist on just staying at home.

In fact, even in her death, she probably whispered a short prayer just before she breathed her last, not to inconvenience my wife and I too much. That morning she died, she gave me her usual blessings as I said goodbye to her before going to the airport. We were bound for Chiang Mai where I was invited to give a talk.

For some reason, our departure was delayed for almost an hour; and when we were already inside the plane, our daughter—thinking that we were already on the air enroute—sent me an SMS telling us to take the next flight back because Mamang has expired. The Thai Airways employees were all so kind in allowing us to disembark and offload our luggage. Had we departed already, if would have likely taken my wife and I another day to be able to get back.

Mamang is now at La Paz Chapel inside Manila Memorial Park in Sucat. She will be interred at the Loyola Memorial Park in Sucat tomorrow (Sunday) at 3 p.m.

We will certainly miss Mamang. But the life lessons she has taught her children and grandchildren will always be there to remind us of her. Praise and thank God for all mothers and mothers-in-law.