Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Life after death


We all have our routines in life. More so at home.

Individually and as a family.

Your favorite seat on the dinning table. Your morning tea / coffee with the paper.
Today of course, you probably have a tab / phone instead of the paper, but the routine never varies.
Habitual activities after a long day at work. Some households watch TV, and some members may read while others occupy themselves in different ways. Be it music or spending time with your passions.

Families have set ways in how they function at home. Each person has a responsibility. Each has their likes and dislikes, their favorite brand of beverages, breakfast and dinner options. (left lunch out as families rarely get to get lunch together these days).

One only needs to take a moment and reflect on their own homes to realize that we all have a routine. That rushing to work, getting the kids to school or ensuring your parents are okay before you go out to conquer your world. 

Now imagine this perfect setting being completely destroyed. Shattered forever.

Cause: The death of someone in the family.

Imagine not waking up beside the same face you may have seen first thing in the morning everyday for the last 10, 15 or even 30 years. Not being able to say good night before you close your eyes.

Imagine that chair, now empty during meals. Imagine the paper being untouched. The tea getting cold.
Imagine the conversation at the dinner table not being carried out because someone is missing. That someone who your life revolved around.
Now there's no one to check on you at work, no one for you to call home and see if they have eaten lunch. 


Losing someone who you are close to is never easy. Your extended family and friends will be there for you for the first few days, standing by you but eventually going back to their lives.
Leaving you with that void. With the broken routine at home that your family had perfected over decades.

I lost my closest uncle 5 days back, who was almost like a father to me and while the entire family and friends stood by his family, I get this feeling in a few days / weeks we would move on.

But imagine his wife of almost 50 years now waking up, not seeing him beside her.
Imagine his son, who now will have to drink his tea alone.
His grand son who won't have his grand dad to regale him with stories of life.
His daughter in law who now has to ensure there' s 1 less portion of food made every meal.

How difficult it is for them to get over this loss. How painful an effort of starting a new routine where they miss him every moment and cope with the situation an yet have to trudge on in life.

Today I urge you, take a moment and appreciate that routine. The one that we all take for granted. Take a moment to savor those moments. For no one knows how long will they last.

Take a moment to appreciate your life. And thank whatever force you believe in.

For giving you a routine that has formed your life.

For 1 day it will all go away