The eulogy of dignity and love

 

My life, at least until now, has been marked by a series of fateful encounters and remarkable portraits of the contemporary world that I have talked about on countless occasions.

Much of my becoming is due to those who have become the lights of my consciousness, thirsting for knowledge and truth. Ultimately, we live in a world of ideational magic, best represented by the content of the revelatory encounter with the Other as the phenomenal discovery of one's own self. That is precisely why, allowing myself to be penetrated by the mystery of the confrontation with the Other, defined in its complex nature, I began to navigate more and more on the ocean of great questions and answers.

But a truly special encounter, which complexly changed the horizon of my perceptions enslaved by the passion of rationalistic arrogance, is the one with the person who became the Guide of my heart, the person whom I decided to follow forever, regardless of the situations we faced could face.

Her name is Mary Ann Empas, originally from the wonderful city of Cebu in the Philippine Archipelago, the latter being in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

I allow myself to express myself in these terms because my meeting with Mary Ann demonstrated to me in the most concrete way possible that dignity and moral resistance are the only weapons we have to use in this treacherous and aggressive world.

Her pure character, the way she knew how to let herself be penetrated by the mystery of life, despite the struggles she had to fight, made me understand that we should never look at the ugliness around us, but especially at the beauty in front.

Mary Ann, as I have discovered, is a true athlete of peace and love, as her experiences, driven by a strong commitment to the assumed work ethic, have shaped in her the most obvious characteristics of that man for whom purpose is not excuse the means. In other words, in trying to be as reflective and responsible a witness as possible regarding Mary Ann's fate, I traveled some more ideational kilometers on my way to the truth to understand that the worthy man will not seek to repay evil with evil, but only with goodness, love and understanding.

Yes, Mary Ann is that person in my life who extended a saving hand to me when I was on the ground to integrate me into a new world that I considered definitively lost, in other words the springboard to Good for my tired soul. A world where love is possible, where simplicity is a mystery, a world of emotional responsibility and sacrifice as a virtue.

All of the above, but also many others, constitute the portrait of the strongest woman and person I have known throughout my life, her destiny being in a way similar to that of the cultural space she represents, the Philippine archipelago, a brave and dignified nation, but deeply tested by the vagaries of suffering and injustice.

Thank you Mary Ann for accepting me into your life and let me give you one piece of advice: keep changing the world with your smile and never let the world change your smile!