My words at Vet’s funeral mass on Sept. 29, 2016

My words at Vet’s funeral mass on Sept. 29, 2016

(VET VITUG, Manila-based journalist and poet, died after a long illness last Sept. 26, 2016 at the age of 65 years old. In lieu of a eulogy, The Philippine Reporter is publishing Vet’s favorite poem, provided to us by his widow, Marites Danguilan Vitug, journalist and book-auithor, and Contributing Editor to the Philippine Reporter.)

By Marites Danguilan Vitug

VET was a generally quiet person who would rather listen than talk. He was uncomfortable in cocktail parties and social gatherings outside of family and close friends.
When he grudgingly agreed to join me in a function, he threatened, in jest, to be the “life of the party.”

I remember that when we would go out, just the two of us, to eat in a restaurant, I would remind him to talk to me. ‘Vet, kausapin mo naman ako, ha. Otherwise, people will think we’re a bored and uninteresting married couple.’

Maybe that’s why he was a poet. His words were measured, well thought of. Nothing in excess.

True to form, Vet chose to live his last months in silence, five months cloaked in deep sleep. One day in April, while confined in a hospital, he fell into a ravine of sleep. No amount of physical pressure woke him up. He was never going to utter a word again.

He communicated with a raised eyebrow, or furrowed brows when he felt discomfort. A few times, his lips formed into a quick smile.

The moments when he opened his eyes, there was no flicker of recognition.

Through this difficult time, a number of people helped us tremendously, lightening the burden.

On behalf of our family, I would like to thank the doctors, caregivers, household staff, they who worked 24/7 to make Vet comfortable.

Thank you to everyone who visited, who followed Vet’s condition with concern.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.