Essentially, when you spoke with her, you felt that she became you; it was as if you were talking to yourself. You were not addressing a nun, which is why she didn't say much and didn't correct you, resulting in a sense of comfort around her, just as you feel with yourself.

The elder wasn't smiling, but her eyes smiled. Her words were always beautiful and contained a grace. You felt what the disciples said at the Transfiguration, "It is good for us to be here." We didn’t want to leave her side. When she was tranquil, she often sat in the sun on the balcony, and you could see that she was praying. This was clearly visible on her face; the sensation that she was a person who had “departed” through prayer.

We humans are tragically flawed beings. We stumble, we search, we desire, we hurt, we fall, and with us are the invisible angels, led by our elder Gabriela, who dust us off, cool us down, and smile at us. "Get up," they say. And if you fall, it’s okay; get up again and again. At the end, the Joy of the world awaits. We come and go, but Christ remains.