Here's hoping you can say this to your loved ones.

Hello, .

Last Friday, I accompanied my Papa as he went in line to receive Holy Communion during the Mass. It was the early morning of First Friday. I remembered not wanting to get up for the early Mass (there’s another schedule at 7 pm). Pero nagising na ako ng maaga, so nagsimba na ako.

Naramdaman ko na hindi lang saliwa ang paglakad n’ya (he’s 80, as you know). Kung hindi, patumba pa! At hindi lang once; three times it happened as we went through Communion!

I felt his arms and head; he was cold. Something was wrong.

Inaatake pala s’ya ng G.E.R.D. n’ya (just Google what that means). Nahihilo s’ya kasabay ng atake.

My Mama and I waited for him to be okay. It took minutes before he was able to stand up and walk up to the church’s front gate. I brought him home via tricycle while Mama brought some food.

Hindi pa natapos and G.E.R.D. attack ng Papa ko sa simbahan (which was the first time it happened, according to him). Umabot pa ‘yun sa bahay. So hindi agad ako nakapagsimulang mag-trabaho kasi binantayan ko s’ya.

Ilang minuto pa ang lumipas at natapos ang G.E.R.D bout n’ya. Thank God nothing worse happened. (The crazy thing about his attacks was once it’s done, he’s okay. Parang walang nangyari.)

When all came to normal, niyakap ako ng Mama ko.

“Salamat ha? Hindi mo pinabayaan si Papa,” my Mama said.

“Wala ‘yun. Kaya nga ako nandito eh,” sabi ko.

Kaya ako nandito. That’s why I am here.

I’ve said this many times to my clients. I know that it reassures them that I am taking care of their business, too, just like how they care for it.

It is also heartwarming to know that I could also say that to the people that matters most to me.

Here’s hoping that you’d get to say (and do) the same, too.

Stay Exceptional,

Ann Kristine

P.S.: Don’t worry, Papa’s fine now. In fact, that same day, binuksan n’ya ang TV at nakitang palabas and Thor: Dark World. He asked me what movie was that, and so I explained. As the Loki scene was shown on TV, I said, “Ayan si Tom Hiddleston, ‘yung crush ko.” Ayon, inilipat ang channel.