The Viewing

My grandmother died Wednesday morning, January 7, 2009 at 10:15 am in San Juan De Dios Hospital, Pasay City. That afternoon, my brother Felix and Uncle Wilson and I were at the funeral home arranging the schedules and procedures in which to prepare her body for viewing and burial. It still didn't occur to us that she has passed away until the funeral parlor attendant asked us if it was okay to proceed with the embalming, at 5pm we knew that she was never coming back. We waited to pick up the body, and by 3am early Thursday we took her back home and placed her coffin in front of the garden. The viewing went on all day and all evening, from Thursday until Saturday morning. Magdalena was always guarded and lovingly looked over by various family members, sometimes as little as three to five people watched over her, most of the times, by the dozens.


We were able to start a family tree. Magdalena was the last in her generation and we wanted to make sure that we do not lose the family ties that held her to all of us.