A granddaughter from Manila shared a heartwarming moment between her grandfather and her grandmother who was diagnosed with dementia.
On TikTok, Maita Nonato happily shared a clip of her lolo Rudy telling how their relationship became official with his now wife Lola Betty.
“My lola always jokes na ‘yung lolo ko talaga ‘yung bumingwit sa lola ko, but it was the other way around. My grandfather is very loving, very sweet, romantic. Like he writes my grandma poems. Even with us, like my grandfather writes me poems, cards, like that’s how our childhood is like growing up. It’s amazing that my grandfather just genuinely loves my grandma through God and through the eyes of God,” she told The Philippine STAR.
“Hindi siya napapagod. Like, every day, kahit ngayon, sabihin niya [kung sino siya]. My grandfather’s love is really unconditional,” she added while teary-eyed.
The two have been married for 56 years now. According to Maita, her grandparents first met at a school. For Lolo Rudy’s part, he was firm that it was love at first sight.
“My grandfather is a lawyer, my grandmother is an English professor. My grandfather saw my grandma from afar. Sabi niya, ‘Gusto ko ligawan ‘yun, ‘yung babaeng ‘yun sabi.’ Sabi niya [friend], ‘Ay, naku, huwag mong kausapin ‘yan, masungit ‘yan, maarte ‘yan,’” she narrated.
Maita recalled how her lola’s dementia diagnosis was very difficult to handle not just for Lolo Rudy but for the whole family.
“When my grandma got stroke, my whole family went quiet for a year. From happy family to like the scariest time of our lives because my grandma was a rainbow and sunshine. My grandma couldn’t talk for months. It was so hard to figure out what to do next. Ano na ‘yung direction ng buhay natin? My grandfather didn’t know what to do with his life. Every single day,” Maita recalled.
Sharing, “You’ll see my grandfather, when he looks at my grandma, iiyak siya, or kakantahan niya ‘yung grandma ko ‘pag hindi siya kunwari makaalala. It was really so hard for my grandfather. Hindi siya kilala at all. Talagang pinagsisigawan siya. Nag-frantic ‘yung lola ko. Pinagbabato niya.”
Maita also stressed how Lolo Rudy held her grandma’s hand all throughout the health emergency and as they navigate+ Lola Betty’s condition.
“He never left my grandma’s side in the ICU. He was just crying, he was just praying, and it was so sad because he was singing their love song to my grandma every single day,” she noted.
Maita said that seeing her grandparent’s love story made her realize a very important lesson in life.
“I think slowly, as the time goes by every day, I’m starting to accept the reality of life in general. That it’s really just borrowed time. This made us all realize how important she was and she is to our lives because, of course, like, she changed. You know, she forgot most of us every day. Like, we would have to remind her who we are,” Maita said.
When asked about her message to her lolo and lola, Maita couldn’t help but become emotional as she looked back at all the love and sacrifices that Lolo Rudy and Lola Betty provided for the whole family.
“I pray that both of you will have a longer life to live and a happier life to live with the borrowed time we have in this world. Thank you so much for raising me, for loving me, for loving the whole family, for taking care of all of us. Without both of you, I don’t think this family will be as strong and as united or as God-fearing,” she ended.
