By: Sr. Marcelle Bual, SPC

Sr. Marcelle Therese Bual was born in Bukidnon, Mindanao where her father farmed. She went to school in Xavier College Cagayan de Oro where she took Accounting, Later she joined the St. Paul Sisters and was sent on mission to Nazareth in the Holy Land. From there she transferred to their mission in Ireland.
It is three years now since I came to Dublin, Ireland in 1991. many things have happened since then joys and sorrows, loneliness and friendships, bitter cols weather and pleasant sunny days, and other experiences, positive and negative in nature... as is always so in any normal life.

Time for Older People
Here in the Centre, my life is not always buried in figures and paper work in the accounting office. To be honest and true, three days a week would be more than enough time to tackle the accounting job to which I am assigned. However there is a lot of work to do around when one lives in community; that is expected and I like that.
Once in a while, and happily for me, I would be in direct contact with the elderly, or would have short encounters with these mellowed persons,  who made me think sometimes about what ultimately matters in life.

Miss Goodness
“How are you today? Pat?” I ask as I enter her room. She is small lady in her late eighties and is seated comfortably in her low chair. She smiles although she does not seem to hear me, and pointing towards the bathroom, she haltingly says, “Miss Goodness is in there.” I find out shortly that it is Sr. Rosario, cleaning up after her breakfast, she refers to. Now that is really touching!

They Don’t Say ‘Good Evening’
It seems to me that one of the most talked about subjects in Ireland is the weather. Instead of greeting each other “good morning” or “good afternoon” or “good evening” people would say “lovely day”, or “dreadful day” or “marvelous day” or “gorgeous day” or “terrible day” depending on the weather it is dark and wet or sunny and bright outside. Some of out residents get so affected that they become sad and depressed when it rains. But when the sun is shining brightly, they would be all smiles and it is almost like big mortal sin not to go out even for just a little walk around the block. The sunshine is too precious to be ignored. In the Philippines, I took it all for granted.

 At 9:00 P.M. It’s Like 3:00 P.M.
However, it is not always cloudy in Ireland. It has these beautiful long evenings in summer that are just unmanageable in the Philippines. Brightness would start creeping in at four in the morning and the day would stay bright and slowly turn to twilight at about eleven in the evening. Naturally, people outside would stay up late... do some activities like ball games, walks, jogs, or even work in the farm field etc. the disadvantage for me is that I could not get my sleep at the usual time of nine in the evening because outside my window, it is like three in the afternoon! That is the reason why sometimes I take the sisters instead for a nice drive around Dublin mountains or along the coast down to Wicklow, to enjoy the beautiful scenery, after our supper, which by the way we call “tea” here in Ireland. I do enjoy being a driver. Sometimes I feel that this is my main job here and the accounting is only my sideline. But of course in community it does not matter what one does, as long as it is for the good of all. I am happy with that.

Creating Home
To break the monotony of day- to-day routine in a home for the elderly, we have activities and celebrations too, not forgetting the spiritual side of everything. Big feasts like Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter are traditionally special and colorful for the residents. Then in between, we have occasional “happy hour” activities that keep us continually interacting with each other all year round year, year after year. The aim is to make this quiet place as much a home for them because for now this is the only place they have chosen to be.

In community it does not matter what one does, as long as it is for the good of all. I am happy with that.