I Remember You

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

I Remember You :

You gave me my first couple of vaccines as a baby, you also gave a whole lot of other babies their first couple of vaccines, you protected all of us from getting “sick unnecessarily”.

I Remember You :

You always wore a white coat, on top of a nice dress, wearing high heels that are not so high, maybe about 1/2 inches to 2 inches, you always looked so classy.

I Remember You : You always had your hair neatly tied back, you loved to scrutinize, and growing up, I remember you being so serious, too serious sometimes, but I always respected you because I wanted to be like you when I grew up. You were a good role model.

I Remember You : You were compassionate, you were strict more often than not, because you have set high standards for yourself and you somehow expected that from others, from all of us.

I Remember You : You were dependable, you took care of your own mother, until the end of her days, you took care of your nieces and nephews and raised them as if they were your own. You took care of all your siblings, all eight of them, and their spouses, and their spouses sick relatives, and your other nephews and nieces, on top of the other people who were under your care.

I Remember You : You were with me and stuck it out with me when I was going through labor for three days when nobody else was being supportive of the fear that I had for myself and the fear and sense of helplessness that I felt for my unborn child. You were with me while I was INSIDE the emergency room, with the cardiologist and gynecologist and other clinicians, while I was fighting for my life through an emergency c-section – you were the familiar loving and nurturing face that I needed to see from someone, from anyone.

I Remember You :Yours were the first arms that held my premature four pound baby’s frail body . You had the initiative to call a priest because in your opinion then, my baby had a slim chance of survival if surgery wasn’t done within the first three days of his birth.

I Remember You : You helped me believe in the power of prayer, because you have seen it happen with the “one-pounders’ that you have helped nurse into good health.

I Remember You : You were the only family that my tiny child knew, felt and heard at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that housed him on the first 30 days of his life.

I Remember You : We became closer after my baby was born, and I have known you as a woman and a person of sheer integrity and conviction and faith and sensitivity.

I Remember You : Appreciating me and my phone calls and enjoying my company (as I enjoyed yours) and when you would call me up to ask me out on a “date” because you would get bored in your retirement years and we would go to “Sugar House Restaurant” so you can have a tiny slice of cake (and you are diabetic!) and we could talk and talk..

I Remember You : You respected me and loved me and my brain and always had something encouraging to say to me. You never once insulted me for my life choices, and in fact, you are only one of the two people who stood up for me when everybody else was punishing me, mocking me, your encouraging faith in me helped me be strong at a time when I was so very weak and frail myself from the physical, societal, cultural and emotional strains of my “could have been avoided” emergency surgery. You knew it wasn’t my fault. You stood by me. You made sure I regained not just physical strength but emotional strength, which was more important.

I Remember You, I suffered in silence to hear about your surgeries and your last few days on earth. I am so sorry I wasn’t there to say goodbye. But I know you know that I love you with all my heart, that I will always be grateful to you for what you have done for me and for my son.

I Remember You : you always complained that nobody remembered you and appreciated you and so that was why I would drive out and pick you up and we would do something special like go eat some cake, or go restaurant hopping. I remember your sister calling me the one who “condoned you” with your sugar cravings, I just thought it was cute, you are the best doctor I know, and you are just having a little bit of fun with your sugar count.

I Remember You : You are one of the kindest most compassionate person in my life who accepted me for who I am, respected my opinions, valued my companionship, encouraged me, and we both have the same pet peeve – we both have the love for learning and we both hate stupidity and shallowness in people.

I Remember You : My once four pound baby boy is now about short of six feet tall, and we both ran 5 kilometers in honor of your life’s work and specialty – caring for premature babies and raised a little bit of funds in behalf of the March For Babies / March of Dimes. Today I honor your memory. And I thank you for having had touched my life as positively as you have. That on negative times, I could look back and think about funny conversations we’ve had with each other, and how you have dealt with your own negative feelings and experiences and homesickness while were overseas pursuing higher education.

I Remember You :

You graduated from this life on this day six years ago. And I will always remember you. I will always be grateful to you. And I am sorry I wasn’t there at your funeral because I was too far away. But I know in my heart that you know in your heart that I love you and I miss you and I value you and I wish you had more of the love that you gave out to others, felt, while it still mattered.

In loving Memory of Dr. Angelita Calupitan, a great doctor and pediatrician, whose life blessed so many people, spent in service of others, a life well spent and lived. I will always remember and be grateful for how you have been such a blessing to me.