Thanks to all friends, relatives and readers/subscribers who sent me their get-well wishes via comments and e-mails, even for those who silently prayed for me in their hearts. I am much better now and hope to be well by the end of next week. This has truly been the longest period I have been ill and indeed, I have learnt many precious lessons to enrich my soul.
This evening, Antares left a very beautiful comment in my post on Life Without Una and I would like to repost it here:
Antares said:
Times like these when we feel totally crushed by the seemingly impersonal wheel of life, birth, death and rebirth make us humble. We are awed by how vulnerable, how fragile, how precious and ephemeral our own existence actually is. And how petty and insignificant our mundane ambitions, quarrels and prejudices are.
This forces us to zoom out, to lean back and look up from whatever preoccupies us, to reassess our daily routines, our worldviews... and it is precisely at times such as these that we are often graced with an inner vision of what the bigger picture looks like.
And once we accept things (and people) as they are - and for a moment cease our endless battle - we are granted an intimation of what awaits beyond the range of our sensory perceptions and experience a deep serenity which transcends all struggle, all sorrow, all grief.Antares certainly has much wisdom and insight in the way he writes, lives and helps so many who know him to see things in the right perspective.
This afternoon, my aunt from KL just called in response to my earlier call to my cousin. I have been very disappointed and guilty that I cannot be there for my uncle's funeral. She was, as always, gracious and understanding and expressed that thoughts matter more than actions. What a beautiful and warm, caring woman she has been always.
I just realized my uncle was 89. I thought he was 82. Honestly, he was the happiest man I have ever met. Always smiling and laughing, I had never heard him utter a negative word , no worries even though he went through so many tragedies in his life, none of which ever robbed him of his exuberance for life and infectious laughter.
His only daughter had polio and his first wife died of cancer when his children were young. He remarried later and had two boys, one of whom passed away when in primary school. A few years ago, he lost his son-in -law, also a polio victim, in a tragic accident.
Amazingly, he was never filled with bitterness or sadness and always had a smile on his face and this positivism was passed down to all his children and my aunt has that same joy and calm composure that he had.
His focus was always on tomorrow and thought of ways to make the house better, garden neater etc. He had boundless energy and if not for the heart attack on Jan 1st, I think he would still have been alive today.
The last time I saw him was in November when my family went to KL to visit my son. I am so thankful that we made special effort to see him even though it was quite difficult for me to find my way there. Whenever we visited him, he was always warm, happy and ready to fatten us with fantastic food.
Pic of Uncle taken in November 2011
My teenage years were made memorable because I took the bus down to KL and gallivanted with my cousins - Fook, Weng, Daniel, Mun Keong and Mun Sim. Then, he lived in the railway quarters in Sentul and moved to Damansara when he retired.Through the years, my late dad had some minor misunderstanding with him but still, we kept in touch and I would call him on and off.
Tomorrow is the funeral. I know that many will mourn his passing as he makes his final journey. I do. He was a very good father, husband, uncle and friend. Fair, wise and yet firm at the right time, he brought up his family very well and each of his children are doing so well.
Uncle, you will be missed but never forgotten. May you always rest in peace.
I pray that each one of us will leave footprints behind in the hearts of those who know us.
I hope my blog and me have done the same :-) just as those of you who have reached out to me in one way or another has done.
It is really all about perspective - how we live our lives and leave when the time comes. Take care and God bless you and yours always.
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