Teresa Regina Bergan

age of 26, after a short illness at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, Baton Rouge,

Louisiana. Teresa was born in Bay City, Texas to Danya Guardiola Bergan and

James French Bergan. In addition to her parents, she is survived by her sister

Maria, and brothers Jim (Rebecca; niece, Therese), Joseph, Louis, and Sean. Teresa is also survived by her grandmother, Nelda Guardiola, with whom she shared a common love of music. The home of her aunt and uncle, Gloria and Rene Guardiola from San Antonio, was always a favorite destination for Teresa. Other aunts and uncles include: Robert Guardiola (Los Angeles, CA), Greg Clock (godfather; Dallas, TX), Joseph (Jean) Bergan (Marquette, MI), Pat (Diane) Bergan (Brookfield, WI), Mary Bergan (Warrenville, IL), Sue (David) Grimaldi (Naperville, IL), Tom (Robin) Bergan (Waterloo, WI), Ellen (Daven) Carlson (Lisle, IL), George (Kim) Bergan (Elletsville, IN), and Peter (Maureen) Bergan (Frisco, TX). Teresa was predeceased by maternal grandfather Luis Guardiola, and paternal grandparents Joseph and Marvada Bergan, as well as by aunt and godmother, Bridget Clock. Teresa suffered from birth with a variety of physical and mental deficiencies.

There were things that Teresa couldn’t do. She couldn’t run or even walk

appreciable distances. She could talk, but maintaining a conversation was not

possible for her. She couldn’t do many things other people take for granted every

day. When some people looked at her, that’s what they saw – the things she

couldn’t do. But that’s not what we saw, and that’s not who she was. When her family looked at her, they seldom saw what she couldn’t do. No, they saw the many things she could do. She could smile. She could laugh. She could feel unbridled happiness. She could love without condition. She could show her love without ever saying a word. Not everyone has those abilities. There are people who have so many blessings that Teresa never had, and yet don’t appreciate those blessings. They have good health but they take it for granted. They can walk but they don’t know which way to go. They have arms but they can’t use them to reach out to others. They can speak but they don’t know how to tell others they love them. That wasn’t a problem for Teresa. She could express her love with a look, with a smile, with a squeeze. She could even express love by showing whom she felt comfortable enough to fall asleep near because she trusted she’d be cared for. She could communicate her needs by crying because she knew her family would come and help her. This was especially true for Teresa’s mother who cared for her 24/7, 365 days each year. Love isn’t only shared through words. Love is much deeper than words---it’s actions and the tender touch of a mother, father, brother and sister. There were more things Teresa could do. She inspired others to try harder. By seeing her work hard to overcome her own challenges, it reminded others to work harder as well. She helped teach us about our own strengths and gifts in this way. She also taught us how to be happy because she took joy in simple things – joy in seeing her family, joy in putting her puzzles together, joy in singing her favorite songs, and joy even in teasing her brothers. Teresa was an example of perseverance and inner strength, as she continued to fight battles in health and limitations that would crush many of us. She showed us

what it is to be strong, because strength is not just found in being the biggest, the

toughest or the fastest. Strength is found in one who keeps on going, keeps

trying, day after day, long after others give up. Strength is found in one who

knows success isn’t always big and flashy but knows that sometimes the greatest

success is found in the tiniest of victories. A private Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Agnes Catholic Church.