I have a penchant for keeping valuable items, like worldly possessions that remind me of a time, a place, or a person that I like or loved.
I was organizing my bookshelf last night and atop is one religious item I’ve been keeping since 1991.
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| You've got to have faith. |
I have a penchant for keeping valuable items, those that remind me of a time, a place, or a person that I like or loved. And this figurine is one of those that has a history to tell.
So...
So...
In the early 90s, my father's province was devastated when Mt. Pinatubo erupted. Hundreds died, thousands became homeless, and countless properties were buried deep in volcanic sand and ashes as thick as a two-storey house. Towns disappeared within that day.
Those of us in Metro Manila, we felt it, too. I was seven years old, too young to know about what's happening in the world, but I do remember it snowed dark ashes.
My parents settled in the city (Metro Manila), but my dad's family is from Iba, Zambales. Imagine the fear my father must have felt for my grandmother and aunts when Pinatubo erupted, and there was no way to contact them or reach them because the roads were unpassable.
After the disaster, the people of Zambales (and Pampanga) rebuilt their lives and used lava sands to create souvenirs. I remember my dad and uncle brought home memorabilia made of volcanic ashes. We had several of those including an ashtray, a paperweight, and this figurine of the Holy Family. To this day, it is the only thing that remained in my possession — and will keep for as long as I could.
Those of us in Metro Manila, we felt it, too. I was seven years old, too young to know about what's happening in the world, but I do remember it snowed dark ashes.
After the disaster, the people of Zambales (and Pampanga) rebuilt their lives and used lava sands to create souvenirs. I remember my dad and uncle brought home memorabilia made of volcanic ashes. We had several of those including an ashtray, a paperweight, and this figurine of the Holy Family. To this day, it is the only thing that remained in my possession — and will keep for as long as I could.