Andrea Rodriguez de Vergara

May 20, 1919 - March 12, 2021

Un poco sobre ti....

Naciste en nuestra madre patria, en nuestra amada Colombia, por allá a comienzos del siglo pasado, el problema es que la fecha exacta todavía no la tengo muy clara, bueno yo.. Algunos años más tarde y siendo solo una niña, junto a tus hermanos tuviste que salir de tu pueblo natal debido al azote de la violencia, que por entonces ya lastraba nuestro querido pero tan sufrido país. Pasaron los años y junto a tu amado esposo, a quien siempre recordarías con tanto amor y devoción, formaste una familia en nuestra ciudad de Bogotá. Fruto de este amor, traerías a la vida 10 maravillosos hijos, de los cuales perdiste dos, en plena flor de sus vidas. Vaya dolor! No me imagino lo que se sentiría de perder a un hijo. Para entonces, también ya habías perdido a nuestro abuelo y padre, y al amor de tu vida, abuelito Misael. Vendrían años muy difíciles, pues estarías al mando de una familia tan numerosa, enfrentando todas las vicisitudes que ello conlleva. Tarea que asumirías con la grandeza de alma, la generosidad, trabajo arduo y especialmente con la sabiduría, bondad, amor y sentido común que siempre te caracterizaron. Levantaste a tus hijos con dignidad y ellos te respondieron de la mejor manera y a la altura de las circunstancias. Les enseñaste a dar la mano al que lo necesitara, dar de comer al hambriento y albergue al desamparado. Ese fue tu legado.

Muchos años más tarde llegaría el momento de dejar tu querida Colombia y venir aquí, junto a tus hijos, a continuar más que nunca tu labor de madre, abuela y maestra, y sobre todo de piedra angular de nuestra familia.

Lo que me llevaré de ti por siempre…

Son innumerables las historias, anécdotas y recuerdos que no cabría mencionar aquí. Sin embargo, lo que más quisiera resaltar es la profunda admiración que siempre te tuve.

Desde muy niño tuve el privilegio de disfrutar de tu compañía, de tus largas caminatas por la ciudad, las visitas a tus amigas, tus conversaciones, tu comida, y tantas cosas más. Luego, a pesar de la convulsión de la adolescencia y de los muchos dolores de cabeza que pude causar, nunca me juzgaste y siempre tuviste la palabra indicada y la forma de atraerme hacia ti. Siempre supe que en ti encontraría el refugio y el entendimiento que necesitaba. Siempre me respetaste, me dejaste ser yo. Recuerdo cuando me venías a buscar al colegio y yo me escapaba por la parte de atrás para verte y me traías algún mecato para comer. Era nuestra cita y lo mejor que me podía pasar en la semana. En los años posteriores, y que por cosas de la vida me tuve que ausentar, de una u otra forma siempre sentí tu presencia, y eso me dio la fortaleza para seguir adelante. Afortunadamente, años después vino el reencuentro para que desde entonces, siempre más y más siguieras siendo esa persona tan importante en las etapas siguientes de mi vida. Bendijiste a mi hija en su nacimiento, me apoyaste siempre en mis desiciones y me hiciste creer en mí. Viniste y bendijiste mi casa con tu presencia. Qué privilegio!

Y bueno, si de niño me enseñaste tantas cosas, muchas más fueron las que aprendí en el ocaso de tu vida y entendí por qué teníamos esa conexión. Y es porque de alguna forma me veía reflejado en ti y delante tuyo volvía a encontrar a ese niño.

Admiré profundamente tu sentido común para resolver las cosas. Tu sabiduría a la hora de dar un consejo, tus palabras directas y a veces irreverentes, sin ser irrespetuosas. Admiré tu amor fuerte, sin el alarde de la melosería, pero sí, muy profundo y sincero.

También, me enseñaste el lenguaje del silencio. En estos últimos años que compartimos a tu lado, tus palabras eran más escasas, y por esto mismo más preciosas. Pero es que el oro no se recoge por ahí.. Nos deleitaste con tu poesía, con tus historias de vida, con tu privilegiada

memoria. Me enseñaste a ser impecable con la palabra, a decir lo que se siente y a sentir lo que se dice. Me enseñaste a no quejarme por cualquier cosa. Cuántas veces los jóvenes nos quejamos y yo nunca te escuché decir que estuvieras cansada. Y sí que tenías motivos para estarlo. Así mismo, si necesitabas algo, no dudabas en pedirlo. Siempre te hiciste sentir.

Observándote estos últimos años, me enseñaste a tener la fortaleza del soldado y a disfrutar de la paz de la buena soledad y que el silencio también es necesario, y que quizás es el lenguaje del alma. También con tus breves pero sabios consejos me enseñaste a convertirme en mi mejor aliado y no en mi peor enemigo. Me enseñaste mil cosas sin querer enseñarme nada. Me enseñaste mil cosas con la candidez de tu sonrisa y la transparencia de tu mirada. Me enseñaste que hay que luchar el “buen combate” de la vida como dice Paulo Coelho, con la frente en alto, con los ojos en el cielo pero los pies sobre la tierra. Y nos enseñaste que el fruto del buen combate es el ágape… o sea el amor de lo bueno y lo bueno del amor.. Nos enseñaste el amor de Dios por el hombre y del hombre por Dios. Nos enseñaste esto en silencio, con tu ejemplo, sin dogmatizar ni estigmatizar. Lo hiciste con sencillez, con humildad, pero sobre todo, con mucha, mucha alegría. Me enseñaste lo que es la buena vida, o mejor aún, el buen vivir. Y porqué no, también el buen morir. Me enseñaste que es verdad que cuando uno se muere nada se lleva, pero si es mucho lo que deja. Y es porque en realidad no necesitamos nada y para ser felices hay que desprendernos de todo, hasta de la vida. Pero también me enseñaste que en cambio sí es mucho lo que uno puede dejar y lo que puede dar.

Y sólo espero que todo esto que me dejaste y que me diste y que nos diste lo pueda llevar conmigo y hacerlo mío, siempre…

Gracias abuelita Andrea, Madre y Maestra!!!

Te amo,

Tu nieto, por siempre,

Javier

Someone very special said recently that beyond being dead or alive, one just is -- remains human. One remains human in the transcendence and beingness of what that means. Beyond being simple creatures, we are more of a perfect creation of God, a work of the Artist par excellence. And if it is true that we are made in his image and likeness, then in that sense it is also true that we are eternal in some way because we have been in the thought of that artist from all eternity ... Therefore, we are more than the body that we see. The irony is that in this context one can be dead being alive or alive being dead. It is the mystery of our choice and the mystery that death is simply part of life.

Beloved Granny,

I never thought the day would come when I would write this farewell letter. When one writes, we are taught that we must consider the audience for whom we are writing.

Well, on this day I want you to be the main recipient of these words, because I know very well that you are here among us, as we are in you, and that is why these words are for all of those gathered here in your name and also on behalf of all of us who love you and whom you carried in your heart. And more than a goodbye, I hope they are more of a "see you soon."

A little about you …

You were born in our motherland, in our beloved Colombia, a long, long time ago, at the

beginning of the last century, although the exact date was never that exact, at least to me.

Some years later, when you were still a young girl, along with your siblings, you had to leave

your hometown due to the scourge of violence, which by then was already weighing on our

beloved but so long-suffering country. Years passed and together with your beloved husband,

whom you would always remember with so much love and devotion, you formed a family in our

city of Bogotá. As a result of this love, you would bring to life 10 wonderful children, of which you

lost two, in the prime of their lives. How painful it must've been! I can't imagine what it would feel

like to lose a child. By then, you had also already lost our grandfather and father, and the love of

your life, Grandpa Misael. Very difficult years would follow, because you would be in charge of

such large family, facing all the vicissitudes that this entails. Task that you would take upon

with the greatness of soul, generosity, hard work and especially with the wisdom, kindness,

love, and common sense that always characterized you. You raised your children with dignity

and they would rise to the occasion, give back in their best way possible and at the level of the circumstances. You taught them to lend a hand to those in need, feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless. That was your legacy.

Many years later, the time would come to leave your beloved Colombia and to come here,

alongside with your children, to continue your mission as mother, grandmother and teacher, and

above all, as the cornerstone of our family.

What I will keep with me forever …

There are countless stories, anecdotes and memories that could not be possibly mentioned

here. However, what I would like to highlight the most is the deep admiration that I always had

for you. From a very young age I had the privilege of enjoying your company, our long walks around the

city, random visits to friends, your conversations, your food, and so much more. Then, despite

the convulsion of my adolescence years and the many headaches that I might have caused,

you never judged me, you always had the right word and found the way to pull me back. I

always knew that in you, I could confide, and I would find the refuge and understanding I needed. You always respected me, you let me be myself.

I’ll never forget when you used to come visit me at school and I would sneak out the back to meet you and you would bring me a nice treat to eat. It was our date and the best thing that could happen to me in the week. In later years, and because that’s just how life unfolds, I had to go away. However, in one way or another I always felt your presence, and that gave me the strength to move forward. Fortunately, years later we reconvened, and since then and more than ever, you continued to be that very same cornerstone in the adulthood stages of my life. You blessed my daughter at birth, you always supported me in my decisions and made me believe in myself. You came to visit and blessed my house with your presence. What a privilege!

And so, if as a child you taught me so many things, many more I learned in the latest years of

your life, and so I understood why we had such a connection. It was because somehow I saw

myself reflected in you and in your presence I found that child again.

I deeply admired your common sense to figure things out. Your wisdom when giving advice,

your direct and sometimes irreverent words, though certainly never disrespectful. I always

admired your strong love without boasting, instead, very deep and sincere.

You also taught me the language of silence. In the past few years your words were scarcer,

and for this reason more precious, just as gold is not easy to find.. You delighted us with your

poetry, with your life stories, with your privileged memory. You taught me to be impeccable with

my word: to say what one feels and to feel what one says. You taught me not to complain about life. How many times we are so eager to complain just about anything... I never even heard

you say that you were tired, even though you, more than anyone, did have a reason to be it.

On the other hand, if you needed something, you did not hesitate to ask for it. You always made yourself be heard.

Having had the privilege to witness the way you acted over these past years, you taught me to have the strength of a soldier and to enjoy the peace of good solitude You also taught me that silence is often needed, and that is because perhaps silence is the language of the soul.

Through your wise advice you taught me to become my best ally and not my worst enemy. You taught me a thousand things without wanting to teach me any. You taught me a thousand things with the candor of your smile and that glow in your eyes. You taught me that one has to fight the "good fight" of life as Paulo Coelho says, with the head held high: with the eyes in the sky but the feet on the ground. And you taught us that the fruit of such good combat is “Agape” ... that is, the love of goodness and the goodness of love. You taught us the love of God for mankind and the love of mankind for God. You taught us this silently, by your example, without dogmatizing or stigmatizing. You did it with simplicity, with humility, but above all, with much, much joy. You taught me what a good life is, or better yet, the art of well-being, -to live in plenitude. You taught me that it’s true that when one dies, nothing is taken along, but there is much you leave behind. And it's because we don't really need anything and to be happy we have to let go of everything, even life.

I just hope that all of this that you left me and that you gave me and that you gave us, I can take

with me and keep it with me, forever ...

Thank you grandma, Mother and Teacher !!!

Forever yours,

Your grandson, Javier

I Love You!

Por último, aquí te dejo las palabras de tus nietos:

“Que tristeza no tener a la abuela más, pero me alegra saber que estuvo acompañada y tranquila en sus últimos momentos. Mi abuelita fue para mi un ejemplo de vida, de fortaleza, de amor. Sus alegrías, sus picardías, sus chistes,su amor, su envidiable sentido común, y su honestidad sin filtro siempre los recordaré. Todos llevamos una gran parte de ella en nosotros en distintas formas, lo cual demuestra el regalo que Dios nos dio de tenerla. Mis condolencias para la familia, para las tías y tíos, para la tía Rosalba que fue siempre dedicada a ella y para todos los primos”

Felipe

“On Friday our grandmother passed away. She lived 103 years and was nearing her 104th birthday. She passed away very peacefully surrounded by her children in her bed.

She’s survived by 8 of her children and countless grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Edit: and one great-great grandson.

I cannot stress enough what a great, long life she lived. I grew up with her by my side. She always kept me well fed and loved, and helped my parents raise me. Seeing the boys always brought her joy and a smile. I strongly believe that the kids added on to her lifespan and quality of life. Anytime I would come over without them, her first words were “Where are the kids?”.

Do not be sad for us. If anything, be envious. Grandma lived for over a century, and passed away peacefully surrounded by her loved ones. If we could all be so fortunate.”

Alex

“El ejemplo de la gran mujer que eras se ve en todos tus hijos. Es un honor ser parte de tu familia y te extrañaremos mucho. Descansa en Paz Abuelita!”

Fabian

Remember our Abuelita Andrea for the amazing, remarkable, and loving women she was.. Of course she will be missed but she passed in peace and will now rest in happiness with Abuelito, our great grandpa. She lived a life full of memories and we were one of them. Even when we grieve. we must have an atmosphere that surrounds our family and the ones we love so we can continue to move forward with that love and remembrance.

Even through this time, make sure to hold each other close and never cease to forget to say "I love you.”

Natis