Today, is the 27th November 2016, it’s a Sunday. This is just like any other Sunday except that it is a day whereby I start to recover from a period of pain, shock, worry, anxiety, agony and sadness over the past three weeks. The year 2016 had already been a very difficult year for me with all the things that happened. The life events that took place over the past three weeks from 27th November 2016 just piled it up even further and higher.
In September 2016, I lost a senior Scout Master from Hawaii who passed away due to an illness. He was somebody that I respected and learned a lot from, his passing was a big loss to me. Two months later in November, I lost 2 more people, 1 is my university junior that I knew when she first arrived for her first semester and I was in my final year. The other is the head of my extended family, the matriarch, my paternal grandmother. This was a huge blow to me, receiving news of two people’s passing one after another.
Three weeks ago from today, I was feeling very worries and anxious over my Grandmother’s condition after my parents came back from Malaysia visiting hero over the weekend. I wasn’t able to come along due to a clash of schedule. I am going to live with this regret forever in my life when I wasn’t able to see my Grandmother for one last time before she passed on.
My university junior passed away suddenly in Hong Kong on 12th November and I was probably one of the earlier group of friends that received this heart breaking news first from my fellow university friends. I kept quiet and didn’t want to say anything on social media. Her passing was eventually reported by the newspapers. I attended her funeral wake on 19th November night, it was painful and sad to see a young lady, with full of zest and energy, a role model, lady entrepreneur, being taken away to another place in the sky above.
On 20th November early morning, I was awaken abruptly by parents that my Grandmother passed on. My biggest fear came true, it was very shocking and I had to make arrangements to cancel and postpone my scheduled things for the week. After that, our family quickly rushed into Malaysia for her funeral that was held for five days. Being the eldest grandson in the extended family carry some responsibilities and I went through them during the rituals performed during my Grandmother’s funeral.
My paternal Grandmother passed away at a ripe old age of 99. While everyone of us in the extended family were very sad and heartbroken, we were also celebrating the life of our matriarch, 5 generations under her, at a ripe old age of 99, a legacy and a role model for the 5 generations to follow under her. My Grandmother lived a good life with good fortune at a ripe old age.
I am going to write more about them in the coming weeks ahead. The past three weeks had been very very difficult for me, mentally and emotionally. The pain, shock, worry, anxiety, agony and sadness over the past three weeks. I was heartened by the messages, support and encouragement from relatives and friends.
Today, I begin another round of recovery process and journey, totally different from the situations that took place in the first quarter of the year 2016. I am very grateful and appreciative of the support and encouragement from relatives and friends. My emotional, mental and state of mind wasn’t exactly in the best of shape for the past three weeks
You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Lest We Forget, my matriarch Grandmother and my university junior Linda.