A graceful exit
It’s been more than a week since my good friend and soul sister Tingting Roberto crossed over to the next life after battling lupus for quite a while. It’s hard to imagine she’s actually gone, but she’s in a far better place now. No more worries, no more aches and pains. Just pure bliss, with her God whom she had looked forward to be with.
I know for sure her swato (sweet potato) husband of 17 years, Ardy Roberto, misses her so much as they shared so much as husband and wife. Before Tingting passed away, she was confined in the hospital for 57 days. Ardy stayed by her side as caregiver all throughout while also looking after their five-year-old son Joshua.
Ardy updated all of us — friends, colleagues, and family members — on their daily situation via a blow-by-blow account of what transpired during their whole hospital stay. It helped us fully understand Tingting’s situation and at the same time allowed us to pray specifically for their needs.
Ardy and Tingting’s hospital journey, as chronicled in their posts, mirrored a life of grace under pressure. It demonstrated how one could go through so many trials and still find beauty in everything as they surrendered completely to a sovereign God. During our hospital visit, Tingting was having her dialysis but she was just a breath of fresh air. She kept telling me life is short and that we shouldn’t waste our time arguing or holding grudges against other people. We should just enjoy life.
I asked her what she desired at that time and she said for her to be able to walk because it was difficult to stay in bed and be confined to just a few stretching exercises. I shared that with my son Benjamin who prayed that the Lord grant her Tita Tingting’s desire to walk and then he added a wish that perhaps she could do fun runs, too! Ha, that made Tingting laugh! Meanwhile, my son Donny prayed for her to be surrounded by God’s angels at that time.
Tingting was up and about after a few days of our visit, and her family was all ready to welcome her home when she caught pneumonia and the doctors warned her family of her passing. Because of this, Ardy had all his family members called so Tingting could tell them her bilins through Ardy. After a while, Ardy asked to spend 10 minutes with his wife. He climbed into bed with her to kiss and be close to her and they were lost in each other’s embrace for 10 minutes … and then the nurse entered to say Tingting had expired. Ardy didn’t even know she had left.
What a graceful exit! I would love to leave as peacefully as Tingting, surrounded by all the people she loved and, most of all, in the arms of her loving husband.
During the wake, Ardy exhibited peace even if he would burst in tears sporadically. He would also burst into laughter while reminiscing the times he shared with his swato.
The wake provided a venue to actually launch their new book. It was the first time such an event was held, but I am sure that Tingting would not have it any other way. It was a great venue to share the joy of having finished a work together even during Tingting’s illness and a wonderful blessing to couples as money is one of the primary concerns of married couples.
I am so glad I made sure I was one of the first to have a copy of Ardy and Tingting’s newly published book Money and Marriage. It was hot off the press and I wanted an autograph when we came to visit her in the hospital! Ardy made sure he gave me a signed copy, but Tingting couldn’t sign it at that time as she was having her dialysis.
Couples get to have a glimpse of the life Ardy and Tingting lived through good times and bad — truly in sickness and in health. They also get to laugh with them through their funny quotes and anecdotes and get to learn from their experiences of having failed and succeeded in their businesses.
Thank you, Ardy and Tingting, for sharing so much of your love and your lives with us!
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Follow the author on Twitter @mommymaricel.
