Time goes by very quickly and the forty days in heaven of my dearest sister 
It has been forty days since you were gone. Now, you belong to heaven, Erika. I miss you so much, my beloved sister but life goes on.
NOW, YOU BELONG TO HEAVEN
N-ow you belong to heaven.
O-pened doors in paradise
W-armly welcomes you Erika.
Y-ou are now my guardian angel.
O-h my beautiful sweet sister,
U-tmost love for you always.
B-e with us every single day,
E-ven if you are invisible.
L-iving without you physically
O-nce and forever may be painful yet
N-ever in my mind to dwell with
G-rief as long as life remains.
T-oday an everlasting life begins.
O-n this day, you will watch over us.
H-eaven is now your
E-ver eternal, quiet haven.
A-ngels sing sweetly with your
V-oice that gently bids an
E-ver sweet goodbye, and see you
N-ext time on the resurrection day.
Before her forty days in heaven, it is part of our tradition to offer a nine days prayer. A 9-day novena or commonly known as pa-siyam is offered everyday to her. But on 9th day, the closing prayer was offered at the cemetery.
As part of our daily routine, we are going daily in the cemetery every 3 or 4 o’clock in the afternoon may it be rain or shine. It does not matter how very cold it is in the cemetery for as long as we are there for her as a family.
Surely she was very happy that we are always remembering her every single day as we also brought her favorite foods as an offer while she was still alive.
Before the evening comes, I am usually witnessing a beautiful sunset over the fields near the cemetery where my sister was buried.
Whenever I will see sunsets, I always remember my dearest sister, Erika because she loves it so much. When she was still alive, she used to capture the glorious Sun going down. She was indeed a nature lover as she sees beauty in an amazing heart of nature.
The last sunset that she had captured was the moment when we have been at the beach last August 09, 2022 while we were celebrating the birthday of our mommy who is our Aunt and the sister of my father. Only time could witness a deep sorrow and despair since she was gone in a blink of an eye. If only I could bring back time, how I wish I could capture more Sunsets with her. Just like her, I am a nature lover too but she was extraordinary.
When the sky turned dark, we often left the cemetery at 7 o’clock as we moved next to the Church for the novena prayer. We are having our novena prayer in the Church every 7:30 o’clock in the evening together with my family, friends, and relatives to pray for her soul even if we have hopes that the remainder of her life is eternity in Heaven.
And the most enjoyable part is cooking at the dirty kitchen using woods every after the daily novena that portrayed a simple living in the rural area at the back of the Church.
While most use the modern cooking wares, here is the Kettle or Kalha that we have used for cooking whenever we will have our dinner every after the daily novena at the back of the Church.
This reminds me back of my childhood days. Honestly, I find it hard to burn the woods so I could start cooking. But I tried hard and I was really very happy that I was able to ignite the fire.
Beautiful memories of the past kept on coming as I am seeing this classic Kalha. But at present, we are already using electric wares and gas stoves at home.
Moreover, while praying for her, a lot of memorable and miraculous experiences happened. There was even a time when a butterfly appeared while we were praying at the church not to mention that our culture has many superstitions. The most common among the superstitious beliefs is the belief about a butterfly visitation. According to old stories, it is a sign that a dead relative is making his or her presence felt.
Oftentimes, when I am at the cemetery, I usually pour out my tears while I am in close at my sister’s grave. I admit that it is so hard to move on when things just simply happened in a blink. And there are even times when a soft and gentle wind was embracing me especially when I am crying like an ocean of tears like it was embracing me tightly. I know my sister do not want that I will forever be in grief but this is my way of releasing a deep pain so I will be able to be back to my old self. Maybe that was her and maybe that was a sign of her presence.
I may have cried endlessly when she died but I hope and pray for God’s loving comfort and peace. I know she is just listening from the heavens above. Wherever I may go and no matter how far I will take, our back vivid memories will always keep me beaming face with smiling eyes.
Perhaps it has been forty days without you but all our beautiful memories will live forever. God will keep you up there. Not a day goes by that I do not miss your presence my dearest. I miss you so much, but life goes on.
The light of the candle gives hope for eternity in heaven. You will always be in my heart. You will always be cherished. You will always be loved. You will always be treasured in our hearts. And now, you belong to heaven. God be with you, Erika. Till we meet again my guardian angel.
Disclaimer: All texts and pictures are my own, unless otherwise stated.
