A genius says Goodbye

By Jun Velasco

ONCE in a while, we carry here inspirational articles. Many of our readers have lamented that there’ve been a long paucity that we haven’t come up with one.

Well, here’s from our email sent by an old pal since high school days — Rosales native and now, a Maryland-based communications executive lawyer Benjamin Maynigo, former president of the Young Christian Socialists Movement president and son-in-law of the late Raul Manglapus,   who, the last time picked us up in Dagupan to do a demo in Lingayen town for a sophisticated US product.

The article is a reprint of literary genius Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s goodbye letter when he said goodbye to the public due to debilitating health.

Here’s the unexpurgated letter:

If for an instant God forgot that I am just a puppet, and He gave me one more piece of life, I would take advantage of that time, the best I could.

I would probably not say everything I think, but definitely think all I say.

I would sleep less and dream more. For every minute we close our eyes we lose sixty seconds of light.

I would continue where others have stopped and I would rise when others sleep.

If God allowed me one more piece of life, I would dress simpler, would wallow in the sunlight, leaving uncovered, not only my body but also my soul.

I would prove to men how wrong they are to think that they stop falling in love as they get older, since they actually start getting older as soon as they stop falling in love.

I would give wings to the children, but I would leave the child alone so that he could learn how to fly on his own.

To the old, I would show them how death comes not with the ageing process but with forgetting.

So many things I have learned from you.

I have learned that everybody wants to live at the top of the mountain, forgetting that is how we climb is all that matters.

I have learned that when a newborn grabs his father’s thumb, he takes a hold on him forever.

I have learned that a man has the right to look down on somebody, only when he is helping him to get up.

So many things I have learned from all of you.

Always tell what you feel and do what you think.

If I knew that today it would be the last time that I will see you, I will embrace you strongly to be the guardian of your soul.

If I would know that these would be the last minutes that I will see you, I would say to you “I love you” and wouldn’t assume that you would know it.

There is always morning where life gives us another opportunity to make things good.

Keep always close to you, your dear ones, and tell them how much you need them and love and take care of them. Take time to say, “I am sorry”, “forgive me”, “please,”  “thank you” and all the nice and lovely words you know.

Nobody would remember you if you keep your thoughts secret.

Force yourself to express them.

Show your friends and dear ones how much you care about them.

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