October has been a month of many emotions. It started with a shock that was followed by a rewind of all those years with my dad's sister, then coming to terms with it, and being able to say my goodbye to her.
It was also a month of anniversaries when my dad and granddad passed away.
Besides the sorrow, disturbance, and tears, it was also the month of Diwali, which is a festival of lights. Each individual tries to light up the diya/lamp in places where there is darkness, gloom, ignorance, and obscurity.
No doubt there were mixed feelings at first when this festival arrived. Since the early weeks made me see death and now this celebration, I am very confused!
But then I pondered the meaning of this festival. It's the lighting of the lamps not only in and around the house but also within to remove darkness, gloom, ignorance, and obscurity. This light actually makes men ponder within and helps them change their perspective, especially since negativity always looms stronger than positive thoughts.
When it comes to death, we are no doubt somber by the loss of a loved one, but honestly, science has proven that ever since a baby is born, they are decaying each day! Thus, death is a natural process. No doubt, as humans, we get attached to that person and want them around us, but the law of nature is that we are mortal, so we have to chin up. Let's be happy for that individual, especially if she/he has done all her duties.
Duties?
Huh?
According to the famous rhyme by James Orchard Halliwell published in 1842 with the lyrics:
Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday,
That was the end,
Of Solomon Grundy.
That would be a waste of life! Where nothing was accomplished.
But a conscientious person who brought up her children in a healthy environment and made sure they made a life for themselves would be remembered and appreciated since her legacy will be carried forward via incidents or stories that involved her to generations to come!
As we usher the month of November towards Thanksgiving week, I will be filled with gratitude toward my ancestors and my elders, who gave me love and affection and guided me in times of distress and adversity.
I shall honor this post to my dad and his sister (my aunt), a kind soul who always had the self-respect to row her boat no matter what! Despite the pain that those nasty overgrown cells within her body were causing her, she did not give up on herself, and that's what is commendable! I pray her soul rests in peace.
Mantra for today: "The songs of our ancestors are also the songs of our children."
― Philip Carr-Gomm
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