True Love

Detail from Popo San Pascual painting

Thursday, December 11, 2008


It was like a scene in movie that is usually shown in slow motion - long lost lovers, separated by distance or circumstance, are reunited after a long period. Except that this time, the characters in this scene were not lovers (well, not in the sappy sense) but a young nun dressed in a simple habit, her feet shod in slippers and a group of raggedy children.

From afar, I first espied the nun pulling a trolley heavy with used bottles in crates hastily walking towards where I was. Then my eyes caught the small band of children excitedly running on the street. Nothing new about that until I realized that they were running towards the direction of the sister pulling the heavy load. I was fortunate to catch that very moment they would converge - the smiling children taking hold of the sister's hand and bringing it to their foreheads seeking blessing and the young sister, her face glowing with joy so pure that I swear its positive energy reached me as our car quickly passed them by.

There, in that brief moment, I knew for certain that what I saw was true love!

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