HOPE HAS WINGS

These are series of photos taken during the inauguration of the INA Healing Center last December 16, 2006, in commemoration of KC de Venecia’s second anniversary with our Lord.

The first photo showed KC’s parents, former Speaker Joe de Venecia and Mrs. Gina de Venecia, with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in a souvenir shot beside Manay Gina’s painting of the ‘Madonna and Child’ at the Center’s lobby. Manay Gina, did the painting six months before the inauguration, she chose the portrait out of her numerous paintings because it symbolizes her deep affection for her daughter KC. In fact, the INA Healing Center was established as a direct result of her painful effort to recover from the loss of her dearest KC, three years ago. You will observe that in her painting, a butterfly which is predominantly black and yellow in color, is on the Madonna’s right shoulder.

The second photo shows former Speaker JDV during the commemorative mass for his daughter KC. On his right shoulder is a yellow and black butterfly similar to the butterfly on Manay Gina’s painting. The former Speaker and the butterfly also assume an almost identical position as the Madonna and the butterfly. What’s more dramatic is the fact that the butterfly on the painting reflects exactly the same color in the butterfly design on the blouse of KC’s lola, Mama Nene Vera Perez. Apparently, this mysterious butterfly found its way to JDV, when the members of INA Foundation had flown a swarm of butterflies in an earlier ribbon-cutting ceremony. Contrary to its restless nature, this particular butterfly clung tenaciously at the JDV’s shoulder during the entire three-hour affair, despite the strong electric fans and the numerous people who approached the former Speaker.

The third photo shows ghost whisperer Bernie Nepomuceno, a protégé of Father Jaime Bulatao. She claimed that KC, whom she had never seen before, appeared to her in a dream and admonished her to attend the inauguration. In Bernie’s dream, KC convinced her to wear a caftan blouse, which she has not worn for two years. KC said that she would manifest herself as a yellow and black butterfly similar to the color and pattern of Bernie’s blouse. When Bernie saw the butterfly on the Speaker’s shoulder, she instantly recognized it as KC because it reflected the pattern and color of her blouse, as KC had exactly described in her dream. Bernie related her story to KC’s parents and even playfully posed with the former Speaker, mimicking the butterfly settled on his shoulder.

Do souls make an effort to manifest themselves to their loved ones, especially when they had no chance for a last embrace, a final goodbye? Could it be that KC manifested herself as a butterfly and contacted the gifted Bernie to relate this story, to reassure her mom and dad, and the other mothers who lost their beloved children that she and the other kids who have passed on are still very much present in our lives? One thing certain though is that love indeed transcends all boundaries—be it time and space. To see is to believe.