A Funeral & A Wake [Dreary Tuesday]

We attended the burial of a cousin's daughter. She left too soon at the tender age of 18 due to heart disease, which she had been battling with since birth. After that, we went to a distant relative's wake. She passed away so suddenly due to an ischemic stroke. She was only 54. Like what one of the guests said, the sky of the town is crying out of grief because of the seven deaths in neighboring places during the week.

These reminded us yet again that life is truly unpredictable. One might be smiling now, but we don't know what transpires. This was quite literally what happened to our relative. She was seen walking with her daughter on the weekend, and the next thing they heard was that she was gone.

"So let us live life one moment at a time, eat well (healthily), take our maintenance medicines if we have any, and try not to have any enemies so that we can live with peace of mind. Let's mind our own business to avoid getting stressed," another attendee said jokingly, giving an example where people argue over petty things, even on Facebook.

^{(Note: In our region, it is customary for guests or attendees to speak, introduce themselves, share anecdotes, jokes, riddles, puzzles, etc. That is our way of giving the bereaved family company during their most difficult time. Wakes usually last between 3-7 days, or even longer when the immediate family is waiting for a relative from abroad.)}

While he might be joking, there's something to learn from what he said. Life is short indeed!

^{All pictures are mine. 25112025/20:57ph}