Death for our Christian family is a celebration - a celebration of life in eternity - and not mourning.
Well, yes, there were always be tears human as we are who were beautifully created with emotions. But we believe, God sees the meaning of each tear that we shed. Deep in it are the joys and thankfulness that once again another member of our family has been promoted to live in eternity face to face with the Lord in a place where there is no sadness, no pain, no grief, no violence, no selfishness but all pure sharing, happiness and love.
As tribute for my Lola who sacrificed a lot for her children and for all her grandchildren and great grandchildren, I made this photo montage with a colorful background signifying our assurance and bliss that Lola is now enjoying the most beautiful place with her long lost loved ones. I printed this in 7 by 3 feet tarpaulin and posted it in one of our walls here at home (Can't provide some pictures of the events here for now because I didn't have available cam. I'll still wait for my cousin to mail the pictures since he's already in Laguna now. I'll let you see the interment , which happened yesterday, 081107, and other photos then.)
To make a change in our culture's way of making programs for burial services, my family and I conceptualized the prints to make it more jovial, make it more colorful and more uplifting to make our guests and visitors change their outlook about death. We filled it with songs of praises and comfort on solos from my cousins, group singing of my uncles and aunties and choirs of the whole family. Partly musical, partly hilarious, partly sad.
It's printed in a 2.5 by 6 inches paper layout. The first page is on parchment with the "an appointment with the Lord" text, second page (the program) on specialty board and scented with my Lola's Avon powder and the last page (thank you note) is on specialty paper and tied it with a purple ribbon so it would look like a bookmark.
(Just click on the images for a better look.)
Yes, through that we can change the people's outlook on death. Apparently, most homo sapiens are scared of talking about that event but hey, it will come. No advancement in technology and medicine can ever avoid the cold touch of death.
My grandmother, who is a missionary and Lola's in-law, always reiterates the fact that most percentage of our life is waiting. We wait until we grow up, wait until you can finish your studies, wait until you find somebody to love and then to get married. You wait until your first, second, third and last child, wait until they grow up and you to grow older. And suddenly, wait until somebody will gonna wipe your own ass and wait until death.
That gives me the reason to enjoy the process while I am young. Knowing that we can't bring our diplomas, certificates and awards in heaven, I enjoy the process through wrapping my life with interaction and affection. This is because there is only one thing that you can bring up with you - your character.
-sigh- I'll miss Lola as how I miss my father.
Who says religion can't be funny?
Well, yes, there were always be tears human as we are who were beautifully created with emotions. But we believe, God sees the meaning of each tear that we shed. Deep in it are the joys and thankfulness that once again another member of our family has been promoted to live in eternity face to face with the Lord in a place where there is no sadness, no pain, no grief, no violence, no selfishness but all pure sharing, happiness and love.
As tribute for my Lola who sacrificed a lot for her children and for all her grandchildren and great grandchildren, I made this photo montage with a colorful background signifying our assurance and bliss that Lola is now enjoying the most beautiful place with her long lost loved ones. I printed this in 7 by 3 feet tarpaulin and posted it in one of our walls here at home (Can't provide some pictures of the events here for now because I didn't have available cam. I'll still wait for my cousin to mail the pictures since he's already in Laguna now. I'll let you see the interment , which happened yesterday, 081107, and other photos then.)To make a change in our culture's way of making programs for burial services, my family and I conceptualized the prints to make it more jovial, make it more colorful and more uplifting to make our guests and visitors change their outlook about death. We filled it with songs of praises and comfort on solos from my cousins, group singing of my uncles and aunties and choirs of the whole family. Partly musical, partly hilarious, partly sad.
It's printed in a 2.5 by 6 inches paper layout. The first page is on parchment with the "an appointment with the Lord" text, second page (the program) on specialty board and scented with my Lola's Avon powder and the last page (thank you note) is on specialty paper and tied it with a purple ribbon so it would look like a bookmark.
(Just click on the images for a better look.)
Yes, through that we can change the people's outlook on death. Apparently, most homo sapiens are scared of talking about that event but hey, it will come. No advancement in technology and medicine can ever avoid the cold touch of death.
My grandmother, who is a missionary and Lola's in-law, always reiterates the fact that most percentage of our life is waiting. We wait until we grow up, wait until you can finish your studies, wait until you find somebody to love and then to get married. You wait until your first, second, third and last child, wait until they grow up and you to grow older. And suddenly, wait until somebody will gonna wipe your own ass and wait until death.
That gives me the reason to enjoy the process while I am young. Knowing that we can't bring our diplomas, certificates and awards in heaven, I enjoy the process through wrapping my life with interaction and affection. This is because there is only one thing that you can bring up with you - your character.
-sigh- I'll miss Lola as how I miss my father.
20 comments:
ang sweet naman ng family mo. atleast u view the whole thing differently. good thing ure there to commemorate the remains of your grandmother.
im happy for you.
i never thought of making a collage for my grandparents. ang galing. i love that idea.
i like your personal view of death and moving on. buti nga nagload na ng maayos itong page mo kasi kanina hindi ko mabuksan itong comment page ng post mo na ito...=)
yup. galing nga..
buti sa kanila ganun.
and they really value their family.
at makikita talaga yung respect..
d2 sa amin.. wala lang.. may sugalan pa..
san ka pa??
I am sure that your grandma appreciated it very much. He loves you for giving her a memorable tribute. I am sure that, she will always guide you and protects you and your family. Treasure her, pare! I know you’ll miss her much.
Enjoy life everyday for God. Just always think that the people who loved you much are only there around you. They’ll always be with you. In your memory. In your heart.
maganda ang idea. :)
death is just a transition from this physical world to the absolute realm. it is not permanent.:)
@jackie: sweet? ummm somehow. hihi thanks jack.
yah, we really view it differently. It's rejoicing and celebrating rather than mourning and crying.
thanks so much.
@kc: now you can make one kc.
I hope you'd view death that way too.
@gracy: valuing the family is much more important than anything.
it's next to God diba?
@aethen: thanks for those words pare. Nothing to argue with that.
@tina: true it is.
we too had a collage of my grandma printed on a tiles of her tomb. something we though unique as well. it's good to know that your family accepted this with open mind. hard as it may seem to let go, it truly is heart warming to know that another relative is with our Almighty.
she's probably smiling, looking down on you guys.
stay faithful. :D
whoa! that's really cool ands! (btw, is it okay to call you ands? hihi)
It's good to know somebody is also making unique ways of "celebrating" the promotion of a loved one.
I really someday somehow, most mortals would change how they view this event in their lives (as long as they're ready.)
yes, its hard to let go. but we have to learn to imbibe that emotion of missing and being saddened by death so we could be able to detach from it. Later you can say that "this is death. this is sad. this is heart rendering. i know the feeling. I can now ENJOY it and feel good about it."
Maybe its so hard to comprehend that but it really is healthy.
-sigh- hmmmm
Although its late, my condolences for you and your family. I like the way you look at death. Very optimistic. It's an eye opener for me. Thank you. ^_^
allen, thanks. better late than never. yah, being optimistic pays off for sure.
that is so sweet!
God Bless You all!
oh.. i guess, the hard part with regards to death views depends on how it happened. sometimes it catches up on you when you're not ready... the same way when out of no reason, you loose someone.
that's how it becomes difficult. but amidst the missing part, every death i've gone to, i always have that feeling of assurance that they are in better place.
im just not good at heavy missing syndrome. :D but accepting it had always been a bit easy.
thanks for having the same view though. and yes, by all means you can call me in any name that makes it more convenient for you. hehe...
That's true. Maybe that's only one reason why we are always being reminded to be vigilant because you might be stunned by the unexpected.
Lola's death was peaceful. I was ready for that day that she'll rest completely away from us. I think I've done my part too before she left us.
Not like my father who fell from a Santol tree, where I was a witness, in just a glimpse of an eye from approximately 35 feet and suffered a lot with internal hemorrhage. I was yet in my 3rd high school then. "Totoy" palang. Sure thing, I wasn't ready about his death plus the fact that I was yet a babe in my spiritual life.
A painful death of a father where I wasn't ready compared to a peaceful death of a grandmother where I was ready.
There is a far difference on how I moved on from those events, human as I am.
But as always, it will still go down to the bottomline of everything for you to get through it and detach from it.
It's acceptance and assurance.
But we also have to be sure with our selves that if it's our time, we can be sure to be at a better place.
You love your lola so much...
Buti ka pa...
na enjoy mo lola mo...
condolence.
@lionheart: better make it up with your granma before she's lost pare.
value her.
@tzie: thanks deary.
hay.....i wish i could think more like your family......anyways, that is good, the ay you look at a person's passing....very positive....God Bless your lola!!
You can kuya reigh.
It's only a matter of setting up your mind positively.
Thanks a lot.
Yes : Life is a bridge.When we die,we get over that bridge,to reach a better place .Soul is a holy thing
Blackieman, yes indeed. It's only a sort of transmission from a worsening world to a better place.
Thanks.
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