Sunday, March 06, 2011

what i like about funerals

i attended a wake back in the hometown over the weekend. it was the passing of a church member. far from being a sombre occasion, everyone seemed to be in good spirits, including the family of the deceased.

met up with quite a few people from the days i 1st attended church & it felt like a reunion of sorts - the ex-student pastor who is now in management within the church body, the ex-door-to-door book salesman who is now a medical rep & the youths of yore who now have families of their own.

that's what i like about funerals & i don't mean any disrespect to the deceased nor the grieving family. i often catch up with a whole bunch of people that i will not be able to under other circumstances. in a way, i relish reliving my past life .

do you still remember your 1st love? of course, this doesn't apply if you married that person but many do not go through life that way. i didn't.

the wake happened to be for the beloved mother of my 1st love. as the projector flashed the life & times of the late mrs K, & as each family member paid tribute to the matriarch, i too recalled those care-free days of my youth & the start of my christian life in which she left a big impression. as it turned out, she remains a wonderful mother, grandmother AND mother-in-law in a world where two out of three is the norm.

it was indeed a remarkable trip down memory lane. almost like the green, green grass of home.

22 comments:

Unknown said...

Ha,for once your blog title gave me goose bump.... after reading through i would agree........

1st love? sure and 1st cut is the deepest they say,, true or not?

have a great week ahead doc and god bless ya

Medie007 said...

sounds like a get-together more like it. :) thanks to the late Mrs. K. RIP.

Yvonne Foong said...

Mrs. K could have been your mother in law, huh? :P

doc said...

Eugene,

it's often true that the 1st cut is the deepest, but the one who inflicted it may not feel it.

GBU.

doc said...

Medie,

it's true - i'd never have met some of the people there in other circumstances.

doc said...

Yvonne,

at one stage of my life, it was headed that direction.

Reanaclaire said...

I dont know for sure my first love is love or infatuation, that was when i was 16 years old.. we parted bitterly.. and now i used to think back where he is now.. tried looking for him in FB but in vain.

wenn said...

funeral has become trendy.

missyc said...

1st love still good friends :D late mrsK must have touched you & others in a way to have such 'good spirited funeral' what ppl term "celebrate life instead of mourning"

renaclaire, can't help commenting why still wanna look for him after bitter parting ?

MsUnicorn Girl said...

' They ' say that it's a good thing to talk about ' good events ' at funerals . Including topics about a potential candidate for a wife or a husband ^_^ !

doc said...

Claire,

you must have matured early seeing that you "parted bitterly" at 16!!

looking back, i definitely was infatuated when i was 17, then 18 & then 19. ah, the throes of puppy love!

i agree with Missyc - why are you looking for him??

doc said...

Wenn,

not only that - it's big business as well. mrs K's wake was at nirvana memorial & i was truly impressed with the facilities, amenities & services.

doc said...

Missyc,

that's what i noticed about most christian wakes/funerals. sometimes, it felt like a grand reunion at the grand send-off!!

we remain friends because we didn't part bitterly.

;)

doc said...

MsUG,

i wonder if secretly they ask themselves who is next to go??

Yvonne Foong said...

Then, what happened?

doc said...

Yvonne,

then, we went separate ways, leaving a trail of memories & tears.

Anonymous said...

Funerals remind of us our temporary sojourn here. And how a life can be snuffed out like blowing off candles.

doc said...

Mei Teng,

that's true - life can be so fragile & we shouldn't be making too many long-term plans!

Anny said...

stumbled upon here from andrea's blog after being attracted by your morbid title ;) somehow i find Christian funeral less scary, not sure why ;)

doc said...

hi Anny,

could it be that christians believe the deceased is safe in the bosoms of God & is in a better place, & that the funeral is a celebration of life instead?


thanks for stumbling by.

;)

Yvonne Foong said...

Gos has bosoms?

doc said...

Yvonne,

old testament language for chest.