DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 06 July) — I have ministered lots of people in my life. I can do it because it is the vocation I have chosen. However, I always find it a struggle deep inside me that the people I know, is undergoing a difficult time. It becomes more difficult when I just realized they have gone too soon ahead of me. How I wish that the saying can always be true, “happy lang, walang ending”. But I have always been subjected to the mockery of life.
Indeed, I have been trained in my theology, that life should end in death and death is not the final arbiter of life but Jesus who in his mercy has conquered death so that we can have everlasting life. I truly believe in Jesus’ words and promise. However, I cannot deny the fact that when people come into you, a fraction of their life has become part of us. That when they are gone, it seems that part of our life has also been taken away from us.
Tatay Rene is one of those significant persons in my life. Many have known him as a top caliber photojournalist, someone who has been passionate and dedicated to his craft – an inspiration to many photographers. But for me, behind all those accolades, he is first and foremost, a tatay.
All I have known about him is that He is a tatay in my passion for photography. He is a tatay for all of us in the Camera Club of Davao.
Tay, I will surely miss you.
I will miss your warm embrace every time we see each other in meetings, in our photoshoots, in our safaris. You have never failed to show affection to me.
For sure, our chasing sunrises and sunsets will no longer be the same because you are no longer with us.
I will miss the laughter we shared because of our jokes good and bad.
You will be remembered as a good tatay to me.
Now that you are gone home to heaven, please bring our picture to God. Tell Him not to close heaven for us because we are good friends.
Adios, ñor Tatay.
Hasta la vista in el cielo!
(Fr. Urbano “Banny” Pardillo is Dean of Studies at the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary, in Davao City. He joined the Camera Club of Davao in 2016).
