to Heaven

 Today is Mary's birthday.  This is a sacred day observed by every Catholic I know.  My mother was called Mary by her college friends.  She was known as the fair Maria in her youth.  This blog is not about her, but the tangled pieces of connections there is in this strange land. 


 This is Manuel Sarabia Olympia - my Daddy.  He was born on September 8, 1919.  He would have been 91 today.

Daddy with my older sister, Eleanor

 This artful pose belongs to my eldest brother, Teddy.  He was born on September 8, 1946.  He would have been 65, today. Daddy was 65 when Kuya died.

Look.

Above, is my mother's tombstone.  They died a year apart.

In the past, my father and brother celebrated their birthdays together.  Now, they are also celebrating their death anniversaries at the same time. 

Today, I whispered Happy Birthday to the two men I looked up to when I was growing up.  There are times I wished I'd see them again, but two days ago, there was a butterfly on my bowl of shrimps and last night, a juvenile kingfisher took a perch on my window sill facing the river. 

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And so I sent my prayers to these winged friends hoping that their flight will bring my thoughts and love to heaven.