Thank you, Mrs. Tenazas!

By: Edwin G. Gonzales

 

Tia Letty to many, “Madre Superiora” to Mr. Fuentes, but we used to call her “Ma’am or Mrs. Tenazas” – and we believed she liked it, no less.

 

She’s gone! Yes, the Treasurer is gone!

 

She may have left us physically, but in our hearts she lives on.

 

When were under her care some years back, every time we had our meals together, especially dinner, she would always give us a topic for us to discuss as if we were in a classroom where somebody would go with her side while others would oppose, although mildly, by giving explanation of their own. But in the end, Mrs.Tenazas would oftentimes prevail as her explanations were always backed-up by her personal experiences in life or by somebody else’s, mostly her friends and acquaintances in her religious communities including Damayan or in her business where she was among if not the forerunner. She would always end our discussions by ensuring that we would surely encounter or experience what she meant when we sail further through our lives.

 

Truly, only later in life would we realize how meaningful her words are especially now as we continue seeking our better place in the sun via the uneven roads of life. Her words of guidance on how to deal with daily challenges on the roads had greatly helped us.

 

Thank you, Mrs. Tenazas, though we know that thanking you is not enough.