It’s always hard to say goodbye to people. Especially when they’re still young. Today I went to the funeral of my friend Gabbie. I met Gabbie through his brother who happens to be one of my good friends.
It’s been close to 9 years I think from the time I first met Gabbie. She was still a young girl then who was suffering from a hear condition. She was frail and sickly when I met her. She had strong faith though. She kept pushing.
By some miracle Gabbie got better. So much so that when you looked at her you wouldn’t think that she had a heart problem. She regained her health and looked really good. The doctors in fact were amazed by her recovery. Their family attributed this to her faith. She made a novena to go to a church in Batangas every first saturday of the month. She got better because of this I think. A true miracle.
However last friday, years after Gabbie got better she collapsed and was rushed to the hospital. She was DOA but was revived 30 mins after arriving at the E.R. Her prognosis was grim though.
Last Monday Gabbie passed away. It’s a devastating loss to her family. She was the youngest and well loved by all her family members. She had a way of bringing people together.
Even though doctors have said before that she was a “walking time bomb”, you’re never ready to lose someone. I know the family didn’t expect it so soon.
Gabbie, I know your family will miss you. Your friends will miss you too. I hope you’re happy there in heaven. I know you’ll welcome us with open arms when it’s our time to go.
God Bless you Gabbie.
Dearest Dickoy,
I felt sad that you had to say goodbye to someone close to you. Although it is hard to accept, much more to the family of Gabbie, we should take comfort that death is not the end but only the beginning. The rule on earth is separation but God’s rule is reconciliation. When His children die, it is because He wants them to be reconciled with Him and He does’nt want them to suffer more here on earth. I once had a friend whose name was Joel, he drowned in Laguna during one of our church sponsored outing. I was just a new Christian then, and I asked God, why do Christians die? God answered my question during the next Sunday message of our pastor. In his message he said that God call His children when their purpose on earth is done or in the course of their life, a great suffering will come and He wants to spare them of this suffering. From that time on, everytime i go to a funeral of a friend or a church member, i don’t say goodbye but i say, so long, till we meet again. God bless you always and please extend my condolences to the family of Gabbie.
i read your story in the newspaper. i am so inspired…tnx so much…God bless you…
God should give your strength to accept her loss. let’s her soul rest in peace there.
I ended up crying myself to sleep last night after watching Pipol. You remind me of my younger brother Jeff, who was diagnosed of a congenital heart defect when he was just three months old. He was only given two years to live but God is indeed a miracle worker as Jeff is now 15 years old and still fighting!
He had started on medication and frequent trips to Phil Heart Center since the diagnosis. A year ago, he was supposed to have his open-heart surgery but the cardiac cath result left no chance for survival. The surgery had been re-scheduled and been postponed for three times (for some reasons only God knows). Last May 16 would have been the big day for Jeff but the head surgeon cancelled it completely as Jeff’s heart shows no promise. Again, he had been given 5-10 years to live.. All I could say is, only God knows when the time is.
He has limits, but Jeff is doing all the best he could to make the most out of life. He got himself a girlfriend, went to the school that he really really liked, pursued his inherent talent for painting, learned new chords, and then served God by signing up as one of the altar boys in the parish. And just like you, he also dreams of having his own family someday.
God is an amazing God. He sends people like you and Jeff and Gabbie to give us more faith and strength to move on despite the odds. Thank you Dickoy. I will always mention you in my prayers.
saw u@pipol.cute ka!crush kita!(: