No. Its not a typo. Its the Tagalog word for "angel", and she is ours.
She was ours, actually. Our angel.
Lea is a beautiful, discreet, 30-something, kind, loving, patient, efficient, soft-spoken, but firm, exceptional, non-stressed, joyful, patient (dare I say, magical?)philipina. She has 2 beautiful sons (still young) and a husband who live in the Philipinnes. She, like her sisters, and mother, and many, many friends, is working here to provide a great life for her family there.
She has been working for and with us in some shape or form for about 5 years. Can I call it work? (No doubt she does!) but she is truthfully elegant in her speed and demeanor. She loves my children as her own, and does SO MANY OTHER THINGS faster and better than I can. That's saying kind of alot because I like things done in a very particular way...yes, I have conceded alot of things after the births of 4 and 5, but still. I am pretty picky.
Lea's text message to me while Parker was in the hospital lying in a coma was one of the first I received. It read, "We agreed on Parker in prayer. Believe he is already healed in Jesus Christ"...
You cannot imagine how many times I re-read that, and was so deeply, profoundly touched by her faith.
I have since come to meet alot of her friends, and to my surprise, they ask about Parker. They have prayed for him. They have prayed for and wept for him. Her entire church congregation has prayed for my baby.
And I am still meeting them, and seeing them in the park, or on the street, and when they ask of his welfare, it breaks me wide open. How many people are too busy & go through life without thinking of others?!?! And these philipino anghels are praying for me. And my baby.
With self-less compassion. They are learned, humbled by the Master.
I LOVE THEM! How we can learn from them...
Now you see why I love her, don't you? It's not just that fact that she is exceptional, and carried us through 2010 in so (sooooooo) many unseen/unheard ways. It's not only that she waited & watched & prayed for Parker, and even took him to some physical or occupational therapy appointments when I simply could not anymore...And stayed with Penelope time and time and time again...while I ran him everywhere. And picked up the girls and brought them everywhere in the cold, and cooked for them, and bathed them when I was not there. And walked and walked and walked with Parker (we decided it was easier for her because her hand was closer to his upreached hand, she didn't have to crook her back like we did ours)...And, and, and and....It's the way she did it.
She is very short in person. Abby is almost as tall as her at 9 years old. But she carries alot, very gracefully on her shoulders, and she does it beautifully, with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. She stands tall. She knows who she is. She knows why we are all here, and she seems to faithfully accept God's will. She has a quiet, knowing, peaceful wisdom about her.
I never once heard her yell or be exasperated with my kids. I never once saw her roll her eyes. I never once felt that she did not want to be in our home, helping us, when no doubt, ALL SHE WANTS TO DO IS BE WITH HER OWN FAMILY, NOT SERVING AND LOVING AND TEACHING MINE!
She is beautiful, powerful, and strong. In an indescribably simple and furtive way.
She has moved onto greener pastures, but she will be forever welcome in our home, (puhlease, come back & work with us!) as a helper/worker, AND as a friend. She is an anghel warrior woman. We all love her. Thank you, a million times over, Lea, thank you.
You can never realize how completely and earnestly thankful I am to you. And will forever be.
You are heaven sent to us. You walked beside me, and carried me, perhaps more than you or I even knew. Its grossly obvious now that you are gone!
We miss you!
