Rain falls heavily on an early Sunday morning, a week before the real all souls day. The day before it was raining for the whole day. The rain stop after a short while and we pack to go for a visit to my mum and dad's urn site at one of the crematorium in Mount Eskine. A lot of the people choose an earlier date to avoid the massive jams on the next week end. The traffic was heavy and there was slight traffic jam here and there. But, on reaching the crematorium, the park lot was already a sea of mud and water. To avoid waving through the slimy mud, I try to move my car to a spot nearer to the temple and in the end, the mud were flung all over my car and my family and I still have to wave through the river of mud.
On reaching the crematorium, we assembled at the place of rest for my parent and we offer food and burn joss sticks to them. My eldest brother was near by and we invite him to join the feast with my parent. My dad have been dead for 20 years, my mum for 12 years and my eldest brother for already 8 years. Ow! time flies ( I have used this phrase many times). Every year, we have been making a regular trip to visit them. This is the custom of the Chinese. Actually, the festival is created to bring all the family together apart from the Chinese New Year re-union dinner. So, twice a year, we will meet our parent together. My sisters and her family coming back from Kuala Lumpur for this occasion. It was nice meeting them and resume our relationship. Without such culture or beliefs, our life will be like a blank piece of paper and living in a rat race and a routine.
My parent never age as they still look young in the pictures but all of us have grown older or aged much. This is an occasion to reflect on our life as we are looking at where we will be. Who knows when. It strikes me start at the picture each time I am there with fond memories of my younger days. My mother love me dearly and I regret that I do not spend enough of quality time with her. My advise to all who is living to value the people besides you and within your eye sight. Don't take each occasion for granted. Treat each occasion as if it is possibly the last and go all out to have an enjoyable time with them.
When people takes time and great pain to be with us, we take it for granted and focus on making friends with strangers. What an irony? As I written an article, we always hurt the people who love us most. This is a natural feeling that when we have too much of a thing, we do not treasure it. Little means much. For some wise people, they stay far to watch our love ones and give them ample space to grow. The young ones have to learn things themselves and words is no meaning to them. When they are hurt they learn and they become better people.
There is a wise saying " In youth, we learn, In age , we understand" , this is a natural and logical circle of life. If we prevent them from learning when they are young, they will not understand when they grow old. These are beautiful words of wisdom. So, go forth and learn.
Om Shanti.
No comments:
Post a Comment