Death - a Reminder

Last night Allen, my younger sister’s husband had passed away, he had a fall in the bathroom, and was hospitalized, his vital organs failed, he was put on a ventilator and was given a deadline of few hours by the doctors, and finally yesterday he died.  Today there is a funeral mass followed by burial at Purbani, Maharashtra.   Some of our family members are gone to be with my sister Leena and her son Yohanne.

Painful situations in life brings the family together and strengthens the bonds with the loved ones, it was good to see all the members in the family do their little bit to partake in what was happening despite differences.  Death is a reminder that none of us are going to be here permanently, and I found it difficult today to carry on with the routine, I did not have many interactions with Allen, and there are very few moments in my life wherein I actually met him, yet those small moments have created memories that are unforgettable.

All of us have different journey’s and different paths to take, and we were meant to learn some things,  death comes suddenly in  our lives like a speed breaker, challenging us to slow down to shift our minds to focus on what matters most in our lives - I am grateful today for this reminder that it is the good that we do for ourselves and for  others that will truly matter.

I express my heartfelt condolences to my sister Leena, my nephew Yohanne and Allen’s family members that they may have the strength and courage to carry on their life’s journey trusting in the Lord and pray for Allen, that his soul may rest in peace.  

“If we have been pleased with life, we should not be displeased with death, since it comes from the hand of the same master.”  Michelangelo