The Final Goodbye and the Legacy We Leave

Death is inevitable, and we all know this, but despite our awareness of its inevitability, we still get hurt when someone dies, especially someone around our circle, such as a friend, family, or colleague. It's never a good feeling, and regardless of how old such a person is before they die, people would still be pained about their loss, most possibly because the time and memories they've shared with the deceased are brought back to their consciousness, and with the realization that they'll never get to have such with them again. I've once lost someone dear to my heart to the cold hands of death, so I know what it feels like and won't wish that on anyone.

Just this weekend I attended a burial ceremony of a friend's mum, and even though I don't know the deceased in person, I myself was moved to tears as I beheld the children crying. I can't help but wonder what's going on in their minds, and during that moment my mind also wanders off to about a decade ago when I lost my grandmother (the woman who raised me from childhood to adulthood). I remember how downcast I was about the whole thing; I was even angry God took her, and if you were to see me crying, you'd think she's a young person, but she actually died at around 92 years, and yet I was hurt.

I remember how traumatizing it was living under the same roof after her death, because almost everything brings back her memories that push me to a place of remembrance and tears again. Take, for instance, when I pick a cloth, plate, or item inside the house; my memory would, within a twinkling of an eye, remind me of different encounters I had with her with those items, and before you know it, I'm in depression again. So all of these were what I was thinking of when I saw the deceased children cry, knowing fully well that they'll also most likely experience the same.

But overall, despite how painful death can be or watching someone get buried, I kind of think burial is a place everyone of us needs to be regularly, because it can go on to be a wakeup call that brings us to the understanding that this world is nothing, and regardless of everything we labored for or hold on to, a day is coming that we'll let go of that thing, never to be in charge of it again, and by that time others will do it the way they deem fit. So in a nutshell, going to a burial ceremony can help us tread on life with caution and learn.

Attending a burial helps us to understand the value of time and why we should make the best of it while we can and why we should be humble regardless of our wealth or status. It's also a time to reflect on legacy, which is the kind of impact we want to leave behind when we're gone, and overall it's a time we get to be reminded of the reality of mortality, which helps us understand that this life is temporary and that death, like I said earlier, is inevitable for everyone, including you and me. So how are you living your life today, and what do you want to be remembered for when you're gone?

All photos are mine.