"My name is Rosa Pich. I was born in Barcelona a little over 50 years ago and I am the eighth of 16 siblings. I got married in 1989 to my most faithful companion, Chema Postigo. He was the seventh of 14 siblings. Our dream was to have a large family and we had 18 children. The three oldest died of heart problems and the doctors advised us not to have any more children. But 15 more were born.". This is how the protagonist of this article begins her blog. People Who Count your presentation.
A year ago Rosa was widowed and left in charge of her 15 children. Some work, others are in college, but the majority are still studying in school.
Author of a book in which she recounts her family life, she has appeared in different television programs explaining her day to day life. Palabra talks to her a year after Chema, her husband, "would go to heaven".
He tells us that "recently I was with two of my sons in a cloistered convent giving testimony in front of 150 people and they were asked the same questionHow are you living through the death of your father? We repliedIt has been very hard, we have cried a lot, but life goes on, we can't stagnate'. Speaking on a personal level, some people think: '....Poor, widowed with 15 children'. or the other way around, 'How fortunate that she was widowed with 15 children.'"
Looking to other people
Rosa shows a surprising vitality. She always has a smile for others, even if the day is a little gray. She says that being so many at home makes it easier to give to others in a simpler and quicker way. "The other day, after a trip, we arrived in the evening and what you feel like is a sofa, but my children told meMom, let's go by bike. We're going to ride all the way down Diagonal Avenue from one end to the other and reach the sea'", and you think: children keep you young, you don't have time to look at yourself selfishly... The children want to ride their bikes, so off we go. Some had to study, others were at a friend's house. With those who were ready and had done their homework, we left"..
You see how he tries to take advantage of the crises in his day to day life to have the opportunity to get ahead. "These blows that life gives you are blows that make you more human. They help you to put yourself in other people's shoes. This last year has made the whole family grow, to unite more among us, to support each other, to help each other to get out of our selfishness.".
Everyone collaborates at home
"Day to day life is organized chaos. We start every day from 7 a.m. onwards."Rosa tells us. Some of her children have athletics before school several days a week. She works in the mornings: "I leave home at 7:45. At that time some have left and others are waking them up or helping to prepare breakfast. I go out with the person in charge to buy bread, we go to a bakery close to home that gives us a discount of 20 cents per loaf. We buy 10 loaves a day". Afterwards, before work, Rosa usually goes to Mass. "I need to recharge my strength to face whatever the day may bring. I stay for a while praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament, because I need to stop, to think, to think. and organize myself". At noon, those who are studying at the university or working get together for lunch at home. "There are usually 4 or 5 of us every day.".
A foster home
Rare is the week that in the evening they don't have a guest for dinner. "As a result of the book I have traveled a lot, and since Barcelona is a city of passage, I have acquaintances who ask me if they can stop by my house when they come to visit.". Many times, the guests are people of no faith or of other religions. Rosa tells us that "int is very nice to see how my children are taught to pick up the rosary and pray it. I remember how the other day, a son who is living in Korea told some co-workers to visit us. They had dinner and prayed the rosary with us. They said to meWe were delighted to share dinner and the rosary with you. As we prayed, I watched as one of my sons helped them pray the rosary.". At home they have printed the Our Father and the Hail Mary in Korean".because my son is allí often sends us friends and colleagues. It is very impressive to see these people praying with us.".
