We thank you for visiting. Please come back often. Feel free to upload photos and leave some messages. We look forward to reading them and sharing them with others. We know Mariel appreciates your kindness and thoughtfulness too.
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Dear Sir: I never read blogs and came across the lovely memorial to your beautiful wife by
accident. Keep going. You will do fine. Your terrible loss will mark you for life…but
eventually it will make you stronger, deeper, more compassionant and able to love more
selflessly…you are already on that path I can see.
Have confidence in your love for your daughter. There are no perfect parents, and though you
both feel the terrible loss of your wife and her mommy, you are strong enough to see each
other through, or to lean on God together when you need too. The God of the Bible promises
that He has good for us even in difficulty. Ask moms you admire for advice when you need to.
And don’t be ashamed to protect her in a world that sometimes does not know where it’s children
are…know where she is all the time,know every friend and every adult you trust her into the
care of…that was our rule…and now with two grown (and one nearly grown) kids, we’re not sorry we did that.
Blessings, Michele Hay
Bong! I just pass by, and just read… little ’cause I feel your writing is too move. If I go more, I think I will cry. So its better I just pass by sometimes and see ur family’s happy pics (or because my english is too bad
)
Below is a part of a poem I wrote for myself long long time ago. hihi to make it quite suit with u, I changed something. Hope you will like it. And….. go on.
Nguyet
….
After the rain, seven-coloured rainbow comes,
Birds start to chirp again,
Trees begin to rustle with wind
People rush to work,
What a wonderful world we have !
Wake up man! Wake up man!
Yesterday is always yesterday,
Leave the past in oblivion, towards the future!
Though the world is not good at all…Please, Wake up!
For a new world tomorrow.
Hi, Bong.
I will be in Manila from May 01 to 06, then back again on May 21 to 27. Will you be in town? Let me know, let’s have coffee and play catch up.
Wally
Hello Buddy/Chum,
I am so… so looking forward for your reply back, as a matter of fact I was checking my email daily to see if you have sent a reply back to my inquiry…i am glad that you did. It was just by chance that I found Mariels Garden just last week, I was just idly surfing net and then bang…..dude beautiful piece of work man….moving…i felt it…wherever she is you make her proud!!
you can reach me at this email address for now -_______ ,in process of changing ISP provider….I check it daily
Later dude…..Bud Allan
Dear Bong,
I love the beautiful guest book – I can’t recall seeing it before, so perhaps it’s new?
The photos and messages are lovely and they bear witness to how your bravery and ability to share has reached out to others and touched their hearts. You are a good man Bong, and a wonderful father, and a loving husband – before and even after Mariel’s death. She will be very proud of you – never doubt it.
I’ve added a landscape photo for you that I took myself. This view is just a few minutes walk from where I live on the South West coast of Devon in England – it is a Jurrasic coastline of outstanding natural beauty. This lanscape is awe-inspiring, it is constant, timeless, beautiful beyond measure, and will be there until mankind is no more and beyond; just like the love you and Mariel and Sam share.
Love to you and Sam, from Jan x
Hello Bong,
Your email address? Do you happen to have Bien or Boboys..
Allan …tajjbella@yahoo.ca
Hello,
I just happened by your blog and wanted to tell you that as a “motherless daughter” myself, your daughter will TREASURE everything you have done here. I only wish I could have something like this to look to for comfort with my loss. I was a lot younger, age 1, when my mother passed at the age of 28 from brain cancer. I long to have pictures and memories like these you have created in your journey. Thank you for doing this… you may not ever know the full extent of what it will mean to your daughter to have this place to go to for comfort as the years go by but be assured that it is the most beautiful gift you could give to her short of having her mother back here with you. God Bless and take care….
Janet
Your blog is so touching and every word echoes of the love you and your daughter have for Mariel. It is through this beautiful blog that she will forever live on in the hearts of the people whose lives she touched — in fact, even for strangers like me who are now only finding out about this wonderful person. Like Mariel, I also love anything purple (from my towels, blowdryer, toothbrush, clothes, bags and staple remover), I was editor-in-chief and writer of PCIBank’s newsletter and I also worked with Rafael B. Buenaventura, who was a president of PCIBank before he became governor of Bangko Sentral. I am amazed at the “parallelisms” in our lives; we probably would have hit it off had we been given the opportunity to meet and get to know each other. Thank you for this wonderful site — it truly is a testament to the love you, Mariel and Sam shared. Be strong and keep the faith!
Thank you for the kind words Mary Ann. I’m sure you would have hit it off with Mariel not only for your love of things purple but moreso because of your grace and compassion.
Blessings and see you at the garden.
Hi,
It’s sad to hear that Mariel is no longer with us…I knew Mariel…I lived in the same dorm wit her (and Joy) for about 2 years, (1979-81)..and then i moved to Katipunan to work in Mayknoll (now Miriam)…i just can’t remember if i saw her after that…i remember seeing Joy though…perhaps once or twice till we lost each other…
I am living in Germany now…
As i read your site, i am quite moved by the intensity, the profoundness of that love you shared with each other..i am quite sure that mariel have had the time of her life with you…
God bless You and Sam!!
Thank you for your kind words.We are very glad you had known our Mariel during your younger years. It may have been some time ago but we’re quite sure that you would have caught some glimpse of her spirit of giving and simplicity. She was/ is a truly beautiful person.
We wish you all the best in faraway Germany. We hope that you can keep coming back to the “garden” from time to time and know a bit more about our wonderful life with Mariel.
(BTW, we can email you Joy’s email if you wish)
Blessings,
Bong and Sam
Hi Bong and Sam,
I will surely visit “Mariel’s garden” as often as i can…
and yes, i will be very happy to get in touch with Joy!!
Thanks a lot…
Happy, happy birthday to my dearest cousin Mariel. You will forever be in our thoughts and prayers.