Life's Great Blessings

Gong Xi Gong Xi..I know it's a taboo to discuss about death during CNY days...more so that today's the 7th day of Lunar First month and is everyone's birthday. 

Received a phone message from Christina this morning about the Prince Lam's mother's demise. I guess there is no worse time than the loss of our loved ones during this inopportune time. The beginning of a brand new year when many believe that it has to be ushered in with abundance of joy and happiness for it to last for the next 12-month. That trigger me to think that in life there are actually many many things that are beyond one's control. We can't be predicting the time and place of our birth, neither we can tell when we are going to pass on to the next phase. So life is indeed full of uncertainties. 

Pardon me for bringing up this subject during the new year days as I know this is severely frowned upon by many, young and old. The fact remains that life is uncertain and death is certain. We grow old by years, some grow old by days. And I learn to form such a thought that while celebrating the new year indeed i should treat it as though that this is going to be the last new year I have to spend with my loved ones. For I could be losing one of them or i could be losing all of them in the event the Dark Angel invites me earlier to her kingdom. Who knows..? So I learn to maintain this attitude,albeit it's a taboo to even think about death during CNY. However i have no fear of such thought as it made me learn to cherish the moment and value the people around me more.

It's inopportune for Prince to lose her mother at this time of the year. For at first I was wondering whether anyone would have wanted to pay the last respect to the deceased. Especially the Hokkiens are to perform their ritual for the Ti Kong festival and hence the absolute negative to get involved in funeral service. 

In the beginning on hearing the demise,it has caused a mild stir in emotions... as some BRP team members has expressed their fear and worries to get involved with funeral matters. However, I was impressed to see breakthrough of mindset and attitude. For our BRP Line Dance team members have shown their generosity in offering prayers and contributing their "pak kum" to Prince Lam's family despite some said it's a taboo to get involved with funeral matter during Chinese New Year. I was touched by our team members' thoughtfulness too. Well, may I call this the most beautiful discovery channel of true friendships in this time of the year. And i truly believe that Lam and Christina's kindness and generosity towards the team members all along is now paid off with good and sincere friendships..despite the pantang larang!!

This could be a blessed opportunity to enlighten what constitute good omen..

In fact one of the life's greatest blessing in terms of leading a healthy social life is:

a) Having the ability and means to give

b) Having the opportunity to live in accordance to the dharma/teaching of God 

c) Having supporting friends and relatives

d) Performing action that is blameless

So in fact the ability to offer prayers and condolence monies and the understanding received from friends and relatives towards the act of giving in this time of the year is in fact good omen for the new year. For kindness win us friendships and it doesn't really matter at all whether we are passing away at the inopportune moment for life without a friend is death without a witness :-p (oops! not again the word death)

In fact, dying and death is a time that we learn to forgive and forget. 

Prince, our deepest condolence for the loss of your beloved mom..Take care!