DEATH AND LIFE

October 13, 2015

My officemates and I took some time out this afternoon and visited the wake of the parent of another officemate who died last week.  Since the place where the wake is being held is at a funeral parlour, there were also others being held in other rooms.  One of those other wakes was quite notorious.  It is said that the one who died was a policeman who committed suicide by shooting himself in the head inside one of the local restaurants downtown, in the middle of a busy afternoon.  The busy-bodies said it was a case of jealousy because the guy was having fits accusing his wife of having a relationship with another man. 

While my officemate’s parent died due to cardiac arrest and complications from cancer, hardly warranting controversy except for relief that finally their dad has come to rest from all his pain and they who served him from all their burdens, I think the amount of grief was still the same among those who survived the deceased persons in all the rooms.  People are just trying to be strong while entertaining and serving snacks to the guests, but really, one can feel the gloom in these places.

One Reader’s Digest magazine article said that a person should not miss out on visiting wakes, because it makes one think deeper about life.  True, the one thing that is unavoidable is death.  (They say taxes is another, but I know many who have managed to dodge some of the significant amounts that they have to pay, but instead are only shelling out barya-barya, much to Ate Kim H’s irritation, hence all the full page newspaper ads on who top-paid for what and how much, as if these guys still have consciences to be affected by these black and white ads).

The Holy Bible’s poets, especially King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, said that it is better to look towards the day of death than the day of birth.  It’s a very natural human mindset to count our days before the deadline.  But how we act considering that countdown determines how we live today.  Some people live as if there is no tomorrow, and that they would not be held accountable for what they do today.  Some live deliberately, thinking that whatever good they do today may come back at them through karma later in life, or in the next, even extending that concept to the belief in reincarnation.

For my part, I have come to accept that death and life are necessary for us to define our humanity.  I have faced death in the past, and have felt its stinging blow that will last me a lifetime when it took away the ones I love.  But as a Christian, I believe that it is not my enemy but it is the enemy of Jesus, which He overcame, gaining ultimate victory when He gave up His life on the cross.  I believe in life more, and what happiness and joy simply being alive brings.  Hopefully I get to express such joy in my temperament and in dealing with others.  I believe that life is a gift to be treated with respect and care, but I also believe that death should be treated like an old friend (like what Ignotius Peverell did when giving up the Cloak of Invisibility) when it comes—two profound yet essentially real and tangible mysteries to our ultimate purpose of being here in GOD’s green earth.