Let us all say a prayer for Tatay's 21st death anniversary. (Our Father-1x).

It was April 13, 1983 when I learned the news. I was working at Permaline Container Corp., QC when the VP of FF Cruz called informing me that Tatay's plane was "overdue".

A week before, Tatay called me on the phone which was rather unusual because he usually calls Mel in Makati (BIR office) or he just comes home from his long, tiring flights. He said that they flew "highly-precisioned" flights where they have to maintain altitude at 3500 ft., with not even a 1 degree left or right variance in direction from start to finish. He was tired but he was happy because he always loved flying. His pay was good too.

From the Philippines, he was looking forward to their next foreign assignment.

It took four (4) days to find his body and the rest of the crew in the jungles of Cauayan, Isabela. Mel, Agut and Jun V. joined the search and rescue party while I stayed at the Rescue Coordinating Center in Manila and relayed whatever information to Inay and our family in M-Kahoy.

He was identified through his "Grosby" leather shoes he was wearing at the time. We (Mel, Sammy & Agut) all have a pair of Grosby shoes at that time. Their bodies were found on top of a trelis being "smoked" to ward away insects and animals.

There was a multitude of people who came to pay their respect to Tatay when he was buried. We never had the chance to thank them all except during the mass.

May he rest in peace with Inay, Gemma and her son.
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It has been 21 years to date. All thirteen of us have our own families now. We may have lost our parents early in our lives. Do not allow minor 'bumps' to undermine us. Let the family bond be as close and strong as ever.

Inay and Tatay, if they were alive, would have been proud of all of us.

Pray Always.

K.Sammy

(Easter Sunday. A word of wisdom... short poem to uplift sagging morale.)

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill.
When funds are low and the debts are high.
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit.
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns.
As everyone of us sometimes learns.
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out:

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt.
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far:
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit
It's when things seem worst that you must not QUIT.

Author unknown