Death

Over the weekend, dear husband's maternal grandmother passed away.

He told me that this is the last of his grandparents.  Actually his exact words were, "I have no grandparents left!".

I felt sad and helpless.  This sorrowful remark of his leads me to think that, this means the next generation is "next".  Deaths of my parents is something that I try not to think about.  Even writing this down is a no-no for my parents' generation.  Talking about death has always been a taboo in my family (still is!).  If the kids ever bring death up, it was always waved away vigorously with a loud, "Choy!", which means, "Bad things begone!".

I thought about how it would be like to lose my parents eventually.

If I forgot how to cook a favourite family dish, I will not be able to just pick up the phone and ask my mum.
If I want advice about gardening, I will not be able to just seek my dad's advice.
Chinese New Year dinner would be a difficult event without either of my parents; as with Mother's Day or Father's Day; and their birthdays.
I cannot just call them to find out how they are or whether they would have time to have tea with me and listen to me complain.

 It is easy to take our loved ones for granted.  We blame it on our busy lifestyles or work or the crazy fact that our children have many enrichment classes. 

At the very end, what is important?  The funeral or the time that was spent with your loved ones?  Does it matter if the funeral is grand and lavish; or the fact that everything that needed to be said was said before death?

I don't think I can ever be prepared for the death of my parents.  But if I make the right decisions and do things right, then when the time comes, I know that I would have done my best in being a daughter that they can be proud of.