“Lya-hu na Påtgon Famalao’an (My Sisters): Never Forget Your Protective Heart.”I Tulu Na Puti Sihek Ñeña: The Three Little Bird Sihek Sisters: At the core of the power of the number three: the story of Christ Jesus begins with the Trinity, the three wisemen, the three-word phrases love, hope, and faith, and God’s third day of rest after creation. In Chamoru, the number three is “tulu.” This is a powerful number in Guam culture, giving a sense of just enough. In Chamoru tradition, three often symbolizes harmony and completeness. It appears in traditional storytelling, where triads show balance and wholeness, and in the formation of families and clans, where it represents unity and strength. My sisters have been a foundation of what I am today. As young as we were, they built me up and protected me from bullies. Although yesterday is gone, I remember the times we held each other as we moved into another chapter. Though unforeseen circumstances have changed our lives, the memory of playing in the open field of Mother Nature’s playground remains profound. Our young lives were simple: sipping from the water hose, swimming in the warm ocean in the evening, splashing water at each other, hearing our parents argue over the burnt turkey, and spending nights laughing over silly gossip. I never wanted our endless nights to end. It was an unbroken promise, a secret that, in time, rekindles our laughter, tears, and memories. I see us as the three little sihek birds, a symbol of an unspoken bond. A protective, nurturing, rare, three-of-a-kind bond that keeps their hearts together. We learned that if we stick together, the bond gets stronger, our lives are nourished, and loneliness fades. You had faith not just in yourselves, but in each other. Through all our trials and errors, you were my pyramid, building me up. You strengthen my soul and my weaknesses. You are my sisters forever. Hågu i che’lu-hu gi todo tiempo, Lolanie Charfauros Moniz Mesa and Mary Jo Moniz-Rome Written By: Anna Marie (Baleto) Moniz
“Lya-hu na Påtgon Famalao’an (My Sisters): Never Forget Your Protective Heart.”I Tulu Na Puti Sihek Ñeña: The Three Little Bird Sihek Sisters: At the core of the power of the number three: the story of Christ Jesus begins with the Trinity, the three wisemen, the three-word phrases love, hope, and faith, and God’s third day of rest after creation. In Chamoru, the number three is “tulu.” This is a powerful number in Guam culture, giving a sense of just enough. In Chamoru tradition, three often symbolizes harmony and completeness. It appears in traditional storytelling, where triads show balance and wholeness, and in the formation of families and clans, where it represents unity and strength. My sisters have been a foundation of what I am today. As young as we were, they built me up and protected me from bullies. Although yesterday is gone, I remember the times we held each other as we moved into another chapter. Though unforeseen circumstances have changed our lives, the memory of playing in the open field of Mother Nature’s playground remains profound. Our young lives were simple: sipping from the water hose, swimming in the warm ocean in the evening, splashing water at each other, hearing our parents argue over the burnt turkey, and spending nights laughing over silly gossip. I never wanted our endless nights to end. It was an unbroken promise, a secret that, in time, rekindles our laughter, tears, and memories. I see us as the three little sihek birds, a symbol of an unspoken bond. A protective, nurturing, rare, three-of-a-kind bond that keeps their hearts together. We learned that if we stick together, the bond gets stronger, our lives are nourished, and loneliness fades. You had faith not just in yourselves, but in each other. Through all our trials and errors, you were my pyramid, building me up. You strengthen my soul and my weaknesses. You are my sisters forever. Hågu i che’lu-hu gi todo tiempo, Lolanie Charfauros Moniz Mesa and Mary Jo Moniz-Rome Written By: Anna Marie (Baleto) Moniz
