Thank You and Farewell Everyone!

I want to thank all of you for coming to this "celebration of my life". I ask you not to feel sad for me because I was blessed and had a good life with all my loved ones: my husband Tim, my sons Sean and Ryan, my daughters-in-law Rebecca and Katie, and my Granddaughter Honor.

It was a long but wonderful journey for me. I came to this country in October of 1978 as a very naïve young professional and student trying to complete a master-degree in library science from the University of the Philippines (UP). I was lucky to be selected and sent to the East-West Center, Communication Institute in Honolulu, Hawaii as a Research Intern. I left the Philippines with mixed emotions, scared and excited, but mostly scared. I cried all the way from Manila airport to Guam, until there were no more tears to shed. What I did not realize then was that this was the start of a long and happy and wonderful journey. It was there where I met Tim, a new Research Intern, specifically near the Manoa Garden (my favorite Japanese garden full of colorful fishes (Koi) swimming in the pond) where it all began, my true friend and love of my life. He was literally like a GHOST (he was so pale), fresh from Pittsburgh who just appeared after Superbowl 1979. He just finished his M.A. in International Communication from the American University. We became friends and he saved me from going home, because I was so miserable and hungry for Pilipino home cooking. After I completed my internship and master's degree, we got married in Pittsburgh on July 4, 1980 (July 4th is celebrated as Philippine-American Friendship Day).

Establishing oneself as a young professional and newly married woman in Washington, D.C. was not easy by any means. I used to cry in the shower after job interviews before Tim came home from work. I got tired o answering NO to a question "Are you a graduate of an ALA (American Library Association) accredited school?" during interviews. I had to have my degree accredited by an accreditation firm. I was glad I found a consulting firm, called ZAI Inc. They hired me and believed in my ability to do a good job. They even let me work part-time from home, long before "working from home" became the norm, while I was raising and nurturing 2 beautiful boys. After staying and working part time from home for 14 years, I started working full time for the same company for another 20 years. I also struggled with the daily housework. There were several occasions when Tim's underwear magically turned-out PINK from the laundry machine or his white "barong" turned out light BROWN or pork chops bleeding on one side. Through all these, Tim was so supportive, understanding, patient, and loving until the end. Bless his beautiful heart.

We have 2 wonderful, beautiful boys: Sean and Ryan, who any mother would love to have as their own. I am enormously thankful that I had the greatest opportunity and the biggest TREAT of my life to stay home for 14 years to raise, nurture and watch them grow. It was always my silent prayer that they would grow up happy and healthy. I think my prayer was and is still being answered. They were blessed with good careers and wonderful spouses: Rebecca and Katie. Most of all, we are all blessed for having Honor, our Granddaughter, in our family. She was my HonorZpiration, imagining her sweet and beautiful face during the hard and difficult visits to my Oncologists and various medical procedures: CT/PET scans, radiations, and MRIs. My family is truly the JOY of my life. Thank you, guyZ. Thank you, dear Honor.

All the wonderful people whom I encountered through this journey: my family, my in-laws, my friends, my bosses, my co-workers, my neighbors, my mentor, and my make-believe Lola helped me become what I became. I would like to believe that I became a good Lola to Honor, a good mother, a good wife, a good friend, a good person, and a good Christian because of you all. To all of you, THANK YOU and ENJOY life... Until I see you again. I will be waiting, but do not hurry. I can wait.

I thank God for guiding me on this wonderful journey!

God Bless,
Zenny