Sickness and Death

Looking back....to the moment when I stood before my sick uncle who was lying on a hospital bed, I remember the things that occurred in my mind.

- There are a lot to be thankful for in my life. At least I can still breathe, I can still walk, I don't have to feel the pain in my body every hour. All of the things I complain about in my life are trivial, comparing to the condition that my uncle was in.

- Life is so short and full of unexpected things. We can't be careless. We have to make every moment count. But at the same time we have to accept that all the dreams and plans, no matter how beautiful or how close to success they are, can come crashing down at any moment in life.

- Love and kindness matter more than lots and lots of things in life. In the end, everything else falls away and has no meaning. But memory that can soothe a heart is the memory of smiles, laughters, and love that we share with others.

- I better prepare my mind; one day it might be me lying in bed and cannot move nor communicate to anyone. Sickness has a right to visit every human being at any time.

Last night and tonight...I went to my uncle's funeral. His face is now calm, showing no more pain and suffering. The picture beside his coffin shows him smiling so happily. I don't know where he is right now but at least I'm relieved that he is now free from his weak body. And his death, as well as his sickness, give me a good lesson to learn.

- Don't postpone visiting anyone or be loving to anyone. We think that there're still time and we can do that later, but they might just be gone so soon and there's no way you can return the time.

A week before my uncle's death, the priest at my church told me "blessings go to your sick uncle" and at the moment I had a feeling that God wanted me to visit him on the next weekend, before the schedule of my trip. I wanted to say goodbye to him for the last time. But when the time came, I just let the moment slip pass me by...paying attention to other things in life and thought that I could do it later. One week after that, he passed away.

I have made this kind of mistakes twice already, what a shame.