Always special

It's not a Friday, but this 1984 hit from Iwi Laurel is such an appropriate song for today:

We visited Lolo, Lola and Tita Lon at Loyola today. 

It was our belated All Soul's Day visit. We usually go there earlier or later, so we avoid the November 1 crowd. Since it was raining last week, we ended up going today.

It's been decades, but they're still sorely missed, and will always be part of our special memory.

Soul food

Visiting memorial parks on All Soul’s Day was a lot different when we were younger.

Before, it was very solemn. People would go to the memorial parks as families, reminiscing and remembering the times they spent with their loved ones who’ve passed. We’d roll our mats and eat home-cooked food, which made it an intimate family affair.

Now, you go to a memorial park and it feels more like a state fair! It’s crowded, noisy, and people - especially the younger set - are more focused on having fun than remembering their dearly departed ones.

And another thing I noticed, food stalls are everywhere! Heck, you can even have food delivered to your lot! With the name of your deceased as address. Strange, but true.

Oh, how the times have changed.