White lilies (image from www.irishviews.com)
I am in the Philippines right now, typing away this piece on a small laptop in the house where my mother and her siblings used to live as children.
The house is swarming with activity. A group of women are busy preparing tonight’s dinner. Another group of women are going around refilling small baskets with packets of biscuits and sweets, collecting used cups and replacing them with new ones. A group of men are sitting on plastic chairs under a canvas canopy emblazoned with the name of a governatorial candidate. Children are running around the house, oblivious of the real reason for this impromptu gathering of relatives — the white casket in the middle of the living room that holds the remains of my mother’s only brother.
The burial will be done tomorrow, right after a Mass which will be officiated by the Bishop himself. (My uncle and his family are Catholics, as most Filipinos are.) To be honest, I do not know what to expect, as this is the first Catholic burial that I’m going to witness.
Things have been moving at a surreal pace. Many a tear has been shed. But happy memories have been recounted and retold, as well.
It’s heartwarming to be surrounded by family, never mind if this is the first time I’ve ever seen them in my entire life. I love hearing stories about my mother’s growing up years from people who used to go to school with her, cousins who used to get involved in some mischief with her and her siblings, people who used to be their neighbours, teachers, childhood friends.
But it’s also sad that we have to be gathered in this house under such sombre circumstances. It’s sad that it had to take a death to have the whole extended family together.
May we never take for granted the people in our lives, for death can take us anytime.
From God we came and to Him we shall all return.
Condolences to your family, Mimi.
My condolences, Mimi. I pray you will still find sunshine during the remainder of your stay here. Take care.
My deepest condolences to you and yours.
condolences to you and your family mimi.
i remember when my maternal grandmother died. we were in bicol then. it was a happy-sad experience. sad because my lola died. happy because the whole extended family was there, and it was fun.
My condolences. You and your family are in my prayers.
My condolences to you and your family, Mimi.
I know what you mean when all the extended family gathers during a death and then soon the extended family gets smaller and smaller.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Condolences to you and your family, Mimi.
My sympathy to your family Mimi, are you in Gensan?
thanks for visiting my blog. my condolences to ur family mimi…
btw nice shot…
could u help my blog by just following me? thanks a lot.
thank you, everyone, for your kind wishes. they may ‘only’ be words but they mean a lot.
My deepest sympathies to you and your family. Really appreciate you taking the time right now to write and share your thoughts.
Condolences to you and your family, Mimi. Take care.
brian & a-moms-diary: thank you. writing about the grief actually helps me emotionally.
Condolence to you and your family.
You’re right, we have to be conscious of how we live our lives everyday because tomorrow is never promised…
Thanks, Eper. It’s sad how complacent we, human beings, get sometimes; it has to take a tragedy to jolt us to our senses.