by Telly G. Ocampo
JULY 09 , 2023
Letting Go!
To me, letting go is the beginning of another beautiful
relationship; it is not the end of such relationship. If you
let go.of someone, you do not abandon the person; you
simply unleash him/her because you truly care.
Letting go is an act of sacrifice, and sacrifice is a
manifestation of deep love and concern..As you let go of
someone, you set free the person so that he/she can
move on to a higher realm of existence, no matter how
deep your pain is due to the physical separation.
Letting go is different from giving up. Letting go is
strength while giving up is a weakness. When you give
up, you fall short of all your dreams and expectations
because you allow fear and insecurity to give boundaries
to your freedom including the freedom of the person you
love. Letting go, on the other hand, is extending the
openness of your heart for your loved one so he/she
could spread her wings and fly all alone up into the sky.
Death is “letting go”!
Recently, I let go of two friends and a sister. As sadness
hugged my own human frailty when I set them free, I was
strengthened by the firm Faith in Him that a brighter
future – in fact, the brightest haven – welcomed them in
the Great Beyond.
Inse Toyang, as she was called by the younger Tirol
siblings, returned to our Heavenly Father two weeks ago.
Toyang and I belong to the same age bracket. Though
she was from Rafael Palma College and I was with the
S.Sp.S sisters, there were many times when we met at
the old Libertad street in Tagbilaran City. The street now
is the long stretch of CPG Ave.
She was iconic in a way for she looked like Jacqueline
Kennedy. She sported the “fly away” look of Jacquie and
was a fit to the cut and style of the latter’s wardrobe.
Those were the days of our youth. We looked up to the
women of substance in our time. We met every now and
then since the youngest sister in their family (Lumin),
married my husband’s cousin (Francisco “Noneng”
Pamaran of Basilan”
, we had reasons to bond.
Lydia Doron
Lydia became a friend through her older
sister Babie Doron. Lydia was a selfless
sister to Babie and doting auntie to the
young Dorons. Both Babie and Lydia
(during her lifetime) were vivacious and
hilarious. They will always be my true
friends, real friends!
The last time I saw Lydia was after the rudeness and
violence of Odette. Lydia always wore that welcoming
smile and that was her trademark. During my husband’s
wake, she came to pay all of us a visit despite the
challenges of the pandemic. And how could I ever forget
her?
Then I had to experience the letting go process of our
oldest sister named Aurora. She died last week of June,
this year. When we were in high school, people thought
we were twins. All the way from elementary to high
school, we were together. It was only in college when we
went to separate schools: she, to Southwestern
University taking up Pharmacy and I, to the University of
San Carlos to take up Accountancy.
The BIG C of the parotid gland took her away from us.
While it is true that a lingering illness will give you more
time to prepare for the letting go, yet, thinking of her pain
during her final journey to eternity made us all bend our
knees to ask for His Mercy for a peaceful release.
May the trumpets of the angels be sounded
triumphantly as the three of you enter the gates of
Heaven!