Flowers for Karen

I don't want the flowers to be all white.

That's what I said last August 30 when Nanay, Ate Tess, and I were talking about making arrangements for Ate Karen for when she goes. We were sitting on the bed behind hers while she slept, taking turns crying because we were facing the inevitable.
White flowers, in my opinion, do not fit Karen's personality. Her jolly character merits colorful blooms. I remember how she has added her nurses on Facebook, and how she would always say thank you to everyone who attended to her and paid her a visit. Whenever doctors and nurses asked her how she was, she would almost always say, 'I'm fine.' The radiation therapy guys at St. Lukes had become her buddies and they were saddened upon hearing of her passing. I remember this one night when we prayed and she repeated my words. I said, 'Bless me, Nanay, Tatay, Ate Tess, and Liza' and she added, 'And friends.'

Pinks, yellows, whites- that's what we gave Karen. She deserves hues as vibrant as the color she has given our lives. With a simple smile or a few words she's able to touch people and make them happy, an exceptional power not many have. We are forever grateful for the time she has spent with us, no matter how short.

This was originally posted in the Facebook group KAREN'S JOURNEY TO HEALING, which was created to document my sister Karen's battle against cancer.