All of TJ’s wishes granted

Two days after the remains of their son TJ were cremated, Tirso “Pip” Cruz III and wife Lyn Ynchausti with children Djanin and Bodie (a pastor) were at The Lord's Farm in Lipa City for a family bonding with the urn containing TJ’s ashes. The place is owned by the Cruz family.

During the wake’s last day on Sunday, Pip and Lyn led a flashmob at the Manila Memorial Park to the tune of the Christian worship song Every Praise by Hezekiah Walker.

“That’s what TJ wanted to do, a celebration of life praising and worshipping the Lord that he wasn’t able to do in life,” Lyn told Funfare. “But I know deep in my heart that that’s what he’s doing Up There.”

Tristan Jedidiah lost his six-month battle with lymphoma Wednesday (Nov. 21) last week. He was 37.

This was how Lyn poured her heart out on her Instagram:

I remember you telling me, “Di ako nahihiya Ma na tawaging Mama’s Boy. I am proud to be a Mama’s Boy!” Oh my dearest TJ, I am proud of you my dearest son! My first-born son! You have a very good heart! A strong man! A warrior!

The Lord blessed me with you! Pinahiram ka ni Lord sa akin for 37 years, and I thank God for that. I am blessed! You are now dancing in heaven for the Lord! You fought a good fight anak! I will miss you so much! I will miss our talks, ‘yung tawanan natin, ‘yung paghati natin sa food, ‘yung pagdaan mo sa room namin ni Papa mo before you would leave the house and pag-uwi mo, ‘yung kumakanta tayong dalawa while you were in the hospital praising and worshipping God, our morning and evening prayer time...so many things na nami-miss ko about you...so many beautiful memories and I will cherish them for the rest of my life! You will always be in my heart! I love you my son! Mama loves you, Mama’s Boy! I love you, TJ!

In a phone interview last Monday, Lyn recalled that as she and her family entered their home from the first night of TJ’s wake, she and Pip started crying.

“TJ’s pet dog Fifi met us and she looked very sad,” said Lyn. “When I passed by our foyer and saw the graduation pictures, I began reminiscing when TJ was still a kid until his college days. When I entered my and Pip’s room, I saw the things (bags, pillows and blankets, Bible and books) that were in the hospital and they have been brought back home. The painful reality dawned on me: we wouldn’t be going to the hospital anymore, hoping as we did that TJ could still come home with us. I sought solace from the thought that he is back in his real home, in the arms of our Abba Father.”

It’s too early to touch TJ’s things or make changes in his room; neither is Lyn ready for that.

“We actually converted a room downstairs into something like a hospital room complete with a hospital bed, table for his meds, couch for his nurse, etc. I cannot even take a look at that room now without me choking with emotion,” confessed Lyn.

All of TJ’s wishes were granted.

Two years ago, even before he was diagnosed with lymphoma, TJ casually mentioned that, ”if and when,” he wanted his body to be cremated. Bodie was the one who reminded his mom about it.

Two months ago, the family granted another of TJ’s wish — to go home even only for a while.

“But he stayed home for only four days because we had to bring him back to the hospital for his chemo,” said Lyn. “Then, a week before he died, he asked me, ‘Ma, kelan ako uuwi?’ I assured him, ‘Just wait lang until your WBC and other blood tests are normal na. You are going home, definitely,’ even if we knew that that wouldn’t be possible.”

After the cremation, the family dropped by at the restaurant where TJ wanted to eat when he got well. Lyn placed the urn beside her. Then, for the first time, TJ went home to the family residence in BF Homes.

Last Monday, the family went to Lipa to grant yet another wish of TJ’s.

“TJ told me, ‘Ma, paglabas ko ng hospital, punta tayo sa ating farm. I want to cook for everyone, play with the dogs and just enjoy my family’s company’.”

Up There, TJ must be smiling that all his wishes have been granted.

A tempting offer Nick can’t refuse

CCP head Nick Lizaso with Playhouse costar Angelica Panganiban

When Nick Lizaso assumed office as the new president of the CCP (Cultural Center of the Philippines), he promised to refrain from accepting teleserye offers even if acting is in his DNA. You see, the management of CCP took all of his available time, including his weekends.

And then the offer came to be part of the new ABS-CBN noontime teleserye Playhouse and Nick broke his promise.

“I wanted to work with the production team headed by director Jeffrey Jeturian,” said Nick, “the same one that kept the teleserye hit Be Careful with my Heart running successfully for many seasons.”

Finding a window in his hectic schedule as CCP president is a feat for Nick. In just a few months, he has found a donor to “gift” the CCP with a new bus, which is now being equipped with an LED wall. As part of his strategy to bring the arts closer to people, he will use the said bus to reach neglected areas, even slum areas, “so that they would also know about ballet and classical music, stage plays and the performing arts,” he explained.

In August this year, Nick took the CCP’s Tanghalang Pilipino to Moscow to perform at the International University Theater Association’s XII World Congress and Theatre Festival which received a resounding applause.