Family... Sunday, June 23

Honouring the late Tito Eddie continued today with tonight's mass being the last of many.

I have never seen something as honourable and grand as a 21 gun salute to end a week-long honouring of someone who has passed but that's what I experienced today.  An estimated 200 soldiers participated in the salute.  It was so amazing and I think perhaps I must have said it a million times because there was simply nothing else I could say but that.

There is always... ALWAYS... always good to be found in bad and tonight I think I saw the good in this sad situation, the death of Tito Eddie.  It's not my place to comment on it but I will note that seeing his stepson put his arm on his mom's back, that was so good to see.  To see them comforting each other in this sad time, to be reunited as such, it was so beautiful.  

It's always nice to see my Filipino family, my "adopted family" as I call them.  And though it was sad to be brought together due to a sad situation, it's always nice to see them regardless.  Tonight one of my Tita's passed me an envelop wrapped in plastic.  I flipped it over and there on the front was my name printed in beautiful fonts.  It was a wedding invitation.  

Another family wedding.... I love, love, LOVE it!!!

When sitting down, chatting with some of the family, we started talking about how I finally met Manny Pacquiao.  Mikee, who is a congressman here in the Philippines, is apparently friends with Manny.  I was sitting with him talking about it when he said "Oh, you should have told him that I'm your cousin".  

"...that I'm your cousin"

It felt so sweet to hear him say that, to confirm what I already feel for all these beautiful people who have let me into their homes and into their lives.  We are family.