I guess I had the privilege of being his not-really-daughter daughter, growing up as I did with his youngest daughter, Lita. Ever since I can remember, I was always at their house on weekends, and I would go wherever the whole family would go. I felt like a real part of the family, and Uncle Mario (and Tita Ganding) never treated me differently from their own children. When I was able to understand and put words to what it was that made me secure around him, I realized that Uncle Mario showed me unconditional love – like he did most people. Only for me, it was constant, enduring, up close and personal.
He was ever-present in my teen years and the many milestones in my life – college, work, marriage, parenthood. He loved Bert and my children unconditionally too. And when he and Tita Ganding emigrated to the US, it was he who reached out first: he sent me birthday cards, every year, without fail! (The last one I received was on my 54th birthday, which he had underlined twice and in bold capital letters!!!) I wrote him whenever I could, he wrote as much as he could.
When Bert and I visited him last year, I felt our relationship had changed somewhat: I was still his not-really-daughter daughter, but this time, I was also an equal and a friend. I had a few heart-to-heart talks with him then and in all these conversations, he always declared God’s goodness to him and his great love for Tita Ganding. All his life, I saw how he adored, cared for, respected, indulged, understood, even teased her, and last year, he told me their whole love story. Misty-eyed but with a fond smile on his face, he said: “When I laid eyes on your Tita Ganding, I knew she was THE one for me, nobody else mattered.” Then, growing serious but with an even bigger smile, he said, “I was faithful to your Tita Ganding, I was never unfaithful to her, never!” And I thought of all the times he openly, unashamedly declared his love for Tita, and how we would all be tickled that he did, when it was so uncommon for men to express their feelings.
Uncle Mario also talked of each of his children and grandchildren, and how he was proud of them and of what they’d become. He felt privileged to have seen great-grandchildren. He said he was ready to go any time, eager to reunite with Tita Ganding and other loved ones who had gone on ahead, so sure that God would be happy to have him in heaven.
All of us have seen him walk his talk and live out his faith, but I am forever grateful that he let me see his heart, and that he had made me and my family so much a part of his life too. He was a great husband and father, uncle, lolo, lolo-lolo, friend, teacher, mentor. He was not perfect, but close to it – and I am guessing you won’t disagree with me.
Nenette Domingo Pacoli
(The picture I am posting is not of me or my family, but of Uncle Mario and how he had thoughtfully collected and kept all the newsletters that our ministry – Good News Productions, Int’l – sent him through the years. He was proud of what I was doing – and it showed!)