A Parallel on Life & Death

This post has been very difficult to conceptualize and write. 

Writing about life is one thing. Writing about death is another.
Writing about life's triumphs & failures may come in a heartbeat. 
But writing about death & grief may make you skip or lose a turn saying, Next question, please?

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This picture will be very memorable. You will understand and hopefully feel with me as you read along.

August 26, 2012, on Aunt C's 70th birthday.
With me: Aunt D (left) and Aunt C (right)

On mother's side:
Aunt C is the eldest. 
Aunt D is the youngest.

Both of them passed on last month.
Aunt D passed away on the 5th. 
Aunt C passed away on the 24th.

Aunt D lost her battle to Big C.
Aunt C lost her battle to Big D.

I spent my birthday on Aunt D's wake.
We spent Aunt C's supposed to be birthday on her wake.

Oh, how our clan grieved! 
Reality struck us right in the face. Just when we thought we can start to process and recover over the loss of Aunt D, guess what? We were mistaken.

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As we in the family have different stories and memories with Aunt C and D, I'd like to re-post my sister's thoughts on Aunt C on her social network page:

“Now that I see that you turned out well & life has been good to you, I can say I am happy. I am okay.”  ~ Aunt C

This one of the many reasons why my sisters and I will never forget our Aunt C. Although we deeply grieve for her passing, she lived knowing how grateful we are to her and how special she is in our lives. She understood and shared a special communication bond with me and my sisters.

In 1994, Aunt C volunteered to take care of us after our mom and our fourth sibling passed away. I was 13, Jo was 11, and Karen was 5.

We were able to thank her for one of the heroic things she's helped us with. Six years in total. This she did without asking for anything in return. Never heard her of any blame or complain. And in one of the many special times we had with her, after she's seen and been with us in some crucial life events, she said, “Now that I see that you turned out well & life has been good to you, I can say I am happy. I am okay.”

On August 24, 2013, two days before her 71st birthday, Aunt C passed away.

In honor of Aunt C's memory and life, we remain grateful and privileged to have been unconditionally loved and cared for. She lived knowing that we loved her, too.

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My absence from the blogosphere last month has a lot to do with this journey ~ a journey on life and death. Grief took its turn from life's rhythm and paid us a big time visit. Grief became too personal to be discussed, yet too evident to be hidden.

Nonetheless, I am greatly comforted with the truth that our dear Lord is very mindful of us. He is very mindful even with the smallest details of what happened and what we felt. He knows, He cares, He feels, He loves. That brought me comfort in an instant! Literally! 

With His grace we were able to bear it and, with that same grace we will continue to live. 

Still with a thankful heart, I will keep on living, I will keep on writing.