“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that counts, it is the life in your years.”
RUTTIE was the youngest among our family of 10 siblings. He had been bravely battling cardiovascular disease until he finally succumbed to it last April 29.
It was ironic that we have sisters and cousins, some who are even far older than Ruttie and battling cancer longer, and yet my baby brother Ruttie was the first to join our Almighty Father. Clearly, God has a way of working in our lives and we must always trust His infinite wisdom and judgment.
Even if Ruttie was taken so soon, he lived 60 bright years, bringing color to the lives of whom he had touched. Being a regular and active member of the church even cheerfully serving as the tithe collector, Ruttie had gained a lot of friends, mostly from church and within the community. He is also trusted and beloved by his many clients, having been worked for Monet Salon beyond 30 years, more than half of his beautiful life.
I recall how he called me back on April 28 and knew that he was already in the worst state possible. Ruttie was always calm and collected and would never call anyone except if it was a dire emergency so I knew that his situation was urgent. I happily picked him up and waited with him at the ER for several hours where he tried to come off as lively and strong, but he looked very ill. Somehow, I was grateful to be there, comforting him in what we know now as his final moments.
As mentioned, he has been battling a cardiovascular disease for quite sometime. His legs even began to retain water. He also had a stent-graft in his heart after suffering from a minor stroke about four years ago.
The next morning, around 2 a.m, I received a call from the doctor that his heart stopped beating and they tried to resuscitate him to no avail, until we all had to accept the fact that he had reunited with our Creator.
It is still so hard for me to accept that my younger brother is no longer here. Ruttie is a kind, loving and generous soul; ever eager to guide and assist me especially when it came to social affairs. I had to seek professional help in order to accept that this is beyond my hands, and as my counselor stated, “it is not in your hands; there is no point in blaming yourself or anyone.” This being said, I call on the importance of saying “I love you,” to those whom you care about; being vocal about how you feel while your loved ones are still around.
I would also like to share some of the many heartwarming messages from our friends who grieved with me, especially our friends from the Filipino Church of Nazarene.
Felson Palad related that when he asked Ruttie if he was afraid, given his health conditions, Ruttie told him, “If I soon pass away, I am okay because I know that I have a place in God’s kingdom.” Isn’t my brother’s strength reassuring? Apart from Felson, I also want to acknowledge and thank our other friends in the faith such as Mary Ann Ramos, Amy Almerol, Cathy Banares, Claire Rene, and of course, the pastor and leader of our church, who also shared beautiful stories about my brother.
Our dear Ruttie, your kindness will never be forgotten. Our siblings, Sonia, Ricardo, Dorie, Angelina, Chris, Eloisa, Nenita, Dolores, and I greatly miss you. As for me, I will always miss the times you’d call me to get an Uber or a Lyft for you. I know you are having the time of life there in heaven, and on behalf of our grieving family, I once again would like to thank everyone who expressed their condolences, especially those who were part of my brother’s life. I would like to sum up my eulogy with a popular quote from Maya Angelou, to describe the beautiful life that my brother, Ruttie Lu, lived: “People will forget what you said, what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Thank you for sharing love and happiness wherever you went. Rest in peace, Ruttie, in knowing that you are loved and missed dearly.
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Monet Lu is a Marikina-born, award-winning celebrity beauty stylist with his own chain of Monet Salon salons across Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Ultimately, Monet is known as an all-around artiste who produces sold-out fashion and awards shows as well as unforgettable marketing campaigns. Monet is also the founder of the revolutionary all-natural beauty products such as Enlighten, your solution to discoloration . To contact Monet, please visit www.monetsalon.com or email him at [email protected].
