Farewell Lou

Have you ever felt close to someone you have never met yet? I do! It's not a love for someone in the opposite sex like the one you meet on Facebook, Friendster, and other social networking sites or your textmates and chatmates where it either turns into a broken heart or the love blossoms into a wonderful relationship. It's a love and care I feel like she's a family to me...

And it's weird because our connection is through work. She hired me for a freelance work as a transcriber and then more jobs came after that.

So when her husband was diagnosed of cancer early this year, my heart was hurt. :( I have never talked to him nor exchange emails with him. But I felt how hard it is for them. But... I am also so proud of how positive she is about the situation. There was no instance that I heard from her that they are going to give up. She looked for every means to cure him, motivate and make him healthy again.

There was once when I had a meeting with her and she told me how's Lou. And suddenly, I burst into tears I couldn't talk. She was even the one who wanted to cheer me up instead of me cheering her up. I admire her for her attitude. She's the most positive person I've ever met (virtually).

Since then, I worry everytime I don't get emails from her. I'm afraid something wrong happened. But as what she always says, Lou will get better and we'll enjoy the sun, sand and water in Hawaii. He'll play golf in Sarasota and in Scotland! I can feel how much she loves her husband. I can also feel how much Lou loves her. He is fighting to have more time to be with her. So I prayed hard for him to feel and get better.

Lou golfing at St. Andrew's in Scotland.

But... time came... it was so fast... the moment which none of us wanted. Last night, while we were on vacation in Cagayan de Oro, I received a text message from her asking if I was near my phone because she wanted to give me a call. It's unusual. So the feeling is there again... I don't want to think that it's about Lou, so I just thought that there might be an emergency with her clients.

After an hour, my phone rang. It's her. I answered the call. I can hear her voice and can understand what she's saying but not the full details as the line was choppy because there is no good signal in the area... But I got the idea... :( Although she still speaks and thinks of positive things, I can feel her sadness.

Me and bembem are really sad to hear about the news. I am an emotional person so I can't speak much while talking to her. If I'm going to talk, I'll cry. I do not want to add more to what she's feeling. I know I have to say something but I can't. How I wish I could be there to comfort them.

But how can we say not to be sad to the one left behind? Sooooooooo hard. There is no way you can't be sad! There is no way you wouldn't cry...

There's a reason for everything that is happening to us. And everyone of us will reach that point. It just happens that they got ahead of us. They will be in God's arms now. No worries. No problems. No pain. So, we don't have to be sad.

I love Linda. We love Linda. I hope she recovers fast... and I'm sure she will. I hope I have also met Lou. But who knows, we'll meet him in heaven... but not so soon. :)

Did you notice Lou's pictures? He's on a bike, on a ring buoy, on a bed (race) and in a car.
I'm sure he really did enjoy life's journey together with Linda.

"If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them."

We'll still see her in Hawaii! And of course, with Lou sharing the fun.

Until then!

[2011.06.11]