Even the heavens wept

“Life is not treasured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breaths away”. The past few days have been full of images and sounds of historical events, some so unbearably poignant and potent, it will remain forever etched in our memories.

Former President Cory Aquino’s death early Saturday morning had stunned the nation and we were glued to our TV sets for more updates since then. There was a sense of shock and sadness throughout the country.

 It was heartbreaking to watch Cory’s daughter Kris on The Buzz as she tearfully narrated what happened during the last remaining days when her Mom was still alive. We felt their pain and sorrow as she narrated how her mother suffered while the cancer spread all over her body. Our hair stood on end when she revealed that around midnight one evening her mother said, “I can see Ninoy now.” It was the first time in a long while that Kris saw her mother smile her beautiful smile.

Despite the terrible pain, Cory died peacefully and quietly at 3:18 on the first Saturday of August, a most significant day since it was Mama Mary’s day.

Through the non-stop TV coverage, we learned that the Aquinos had refused the government’s offer of the traditional state funeral for a former president. As President Cory lay in state at La Salle Greenhills, people from all walks of life came in droves to pay their last respects to a leader they so loved.

On the day they moved her coffin to the Manila Cathedral for public viewing, there were throngs of people from all walks of life who came to the streets. We watched in awe, in tears and amazement as tens of thousands cheered and flashed the Laban sign when the cortege passed by. It had been raining for days but the people kept coming despite the heavy rains.

 During the three-hour necrological service at the Manila Cathedral, we couldn’t help shedding tears while Cory’s friends and family paid tribute to this gallant lady. Their little vignettes gave us a view of what she was really like and what we heard, only made us admire her more.

Her sister-in-law Maur (Ninoy’s sister) told of how she bore her sufferings bravely when Ninoy was incarcerated. Maur’s parting words made the congregation laugh. “I look forward to seeing you again although I hope not too soon”!

 The day Tita Cory was buried, the heavens wept. Even inside the Manila Cathedral, it was raining tears as people listened to touching eulogies from Kris and the priests who were close to Tita Cory. They all said the same thing – that Tita Cory was the personification of integrity and decency. The songs performed by top artists only added to the poignancy of the moment.

The funeral cortege took seven hours as the truck bearing Tita Cory could hardly inch its way through the thousands of rain-soaked people who came to say goodbye. Scenes like these were fleeting moments frozen in time.

And now she is gone. We can only ask, “Whence comes such another”?*