thoughts of touching my soul

shared by Manoj Shah, her childhood friend

Dear Cyn,

10 years have taken a toll

Not a day goes by that I don’t

think about how you’ve affected my soul

I’m sorry I haven’t written or paused to

consider my absence from everyone sharing

stories. It’s just not my way.

I put your name on my arm and I look at it every now and then.

Sometimes people ask, what’s that stand for?

“Oh, it's for a friend,” is all I could really say. Nothing more I can share;

it’s always been a little more than I can bear.

Things are good and everybody is getting on with their lives. Even me.

Thank you for being a great friend and teaching me what it means to be one.

You might be gone, but your legacy lives on through me, and the countless others whom you touched.

Love you. Miss you. - Manoj

thoughts of how time flies

shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister

It's hard to believe that it's been ten years since Cindy went to heaven. I mentioned to Andrew yesterday that it's not necessarily that ten years is that much different than nine years, but I appreciate the notion of acknowledging the decade mark. I don't miss my sister any more than last year, or any less, but I am actually more motivated to keep her spirit and memory as alive as ever.

Different family members have offered mass today in Cindy's honor. There was the 8am mass at Saint Anne's church, with breakfast in the hall after mass. The midday mass at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland is being offered for Cyn. Our aunt in the Philippines also offered mass for Cindy there.

We're preparing for our pizza and game night this evening, and are looking forward to seeing more of Cindy's family and friends. Two of Cyn's friends from UCLA, who are now married, are hosting their own game night at their home in Southern California this evening as well.

Many thanks to everyone who continues to honor and remember Cindy, in whatever possible way, individually or as part of a community; and please continue to do so. Everyday, it's heartwarming to experience the little things that remind me of Cindy. So I have a new goal of gathering more pictures of her and documenting more memories. So here are just a few photos to share.

If you would like to view the photo collages that we have previously posted, please click here and here.

thoughts of a li'l friendly competition

shared by Marlo R. Beall, her sister

Cindy enjoyed both watching and playing sports, as well as playing board games or solving brain teasers. No matter the type of contest, you could count on Cyn to be "in it to win it".

During the memorial service held at UCLA, one of the administrators who served with her on the ASUCLA Board of Directors shared a story about he and Cyn playing a friendly game of "Dots and Boxes" during one of their meetings. He explained how they casually took turns placing their initials in the finished boxes that connecting the dots created.

Once they finished, and he had appeared to have won the game, he looked at her with a victorious smile. Cyn was apparently not satisfied with the results, and responded with a sly smile, raised eyebrows, and a confident nod of her head.

She proceeded to add more dots to the paper, letting her administrator friend know that the game was in no way over. And if I remember correctly, they continued to play.

Next month, on Tuesday, April 2nd, we will commemorate 10 years since Cindy passed away. Our family likes to refer to that date as "Tita Cyn's Heaven Anniversary". As a way of celebrating this anniversary, we will be hosting a game night from 4pm to 9pm at the hall at Saint Anne's Church in Union City.

We'd be happy to have you join us. If you would like to attend or have any questions, please let us know in the comments section or by sending an email to thoughtsofcyn@comcast.net. Hope to see you there!