lovely [luhv-lee]

charmingly or exquisitely beautiful; having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face; of a great moral or spiritual beauty
Synonyms include: admirable, captivating, delightful

Cile, James and I visited Tita Beth at Cypress Forest Lawn on Saturday afternoon. At 3:00 pm, the sun was high, the day was extra bright and a light breeze managed to spin the red and silver pinwheel that stood beside a new bouquet of flowers. We kind of just plopped it in the flower hole on the ground, the fuschia butterfly fluttering gently above the daisies and carnations that could've used Tita Beth's expert touch.

Cile and I used to visit Cypress on Sundays on our way back to the apartment (especially during our sophomore year at UCI). We'd polish her plate with some baby oil, tell her what was going on, and then asked her to find all of us some hot boys or hot chicks. hahaha! "She's a great matchmaker!" Cile assured me. "She'll find everybody someone!" (This was taken on Cile's birthday. Some of us had to go to prom that night, but we asked Tita Beth and Tito Andy if we could come over after to celebrate with Cile. Notice how Cile's candles are a 1 and an 8. NUTS!!)

But Tita Beth was more than a florist who trusted me to help her make boutineres before the boys' prom; she was more than a cupid who saw the potential in people for love; she was more than the talented pianist who once played at Rochelle's house as my dad and Iya's dad belted out some tagalog tunes; she's more than the caring lady who once saw me crying on her front porch and handed me a warm mug of kalamansi juice. "Here, you drink this," she said. "You'll feel better."
We were lucky to have known Tita Beth in our lives, if even for a short time. She really was a lovely lady who did nothing short of bring happiness out of people, whether it was through her beautiful floral creations, her captivating piano-playing, her infectious smile or even now through the spirit she's instilled in her children. I think of her every so often, especially when I'm around Cile and Ja.

10 years Tita Beth's been in heaven...guess we all have flowers and music to look forward to when we get there....