Category Archives: Family

Another sad reunion

My husband and his older brother will be flying Saturday morning to General Santos City to attend the burial of their father who died last week due to a lingering illness and old age. Their youngest sibling said their father died in his sleep.

My parents-in-law

It will be a sad reunion for my husband and his siblings. They were reunited six years ago for the burial of their mother in 2010.

I’ll start packing a few shirts and pants for hubby today so he still have more time to do other important things before going to the airport. If time permits, hubby might still look for flying v guitar before leaving for Gensan. One of his nephews wanted the guitar so badly but could not find anything like it from the local music store.

If not for the expensive airfare we could be flying with hubby on Saturday, sadly my kids will never see their grandfather one last time.

Rekindle family ties

I had a brief chat with my younger half brother Jo, who is a priest, the other day. It’s been decades since I last saw him. I think, I was finishing a college degree while he is pursuing a priestly vocation that time. I have a family of my own now. He is a full-fledged priest.

The chat was about his invitation for me to attend the 40th day after death mass for our father. I wasn’t able to go because I was recuperating from a health condition. He said he will just send me pictures of the mass. He did send me photos of the small gathering attended by family members, my other half siblings and cousins, aunts and uncle from my dad’s side of the family. The mass was held at the memorial park. It was decorated by a tarpaulin bearing dad’s photo and a bible verse wall decals attach to it.

Jo said he wish to meet me to talk about our dad and maybe resolve some issues involving me and our father. He knows that I didn’t experience living with our dad since I was born. He said he wish to rekindle our relationship as brother and sister and someday heal the wounds of the past. It was a good gesture on his part to reach out to me which I really appreciate. I also wish to meet them soon.

The 40th Day after death is a traditional memorial service, family gathering, ceremonies and rituals in memory of the departed on the 40th day after his/her death. The 40th Day concludes the 40 day memorial period and has a major significance in traditions of Orthodox Slavs. It is believed that the soul of the departed remains wandering on Earth during the 40 day period, coming back home, visiting places the departed has lived in as well as his fresh grave. The soul also completes the journey through the Aerial toll house finally leaving this world. The rituals during the period aim to let the soul go in order to keep it from returning and bothering the living. – wikipedia

Overcoming Death in the Family

There are a lot of people who are scared of death not because they do not know what will happen to them but because they are scared of what will become of their loved ones when they die. Even though this happens all the time, death in the family is something that people wish they could avoid but it is inevitable. The time will come when a family member has to leave the physical world.

The range of emotions that people feel when they are dealing with death can be different. There are some who may feel angry but the most prevalent emotion that people usually feel is sadness. The extreme grief of losing a loved one can be hard on anybody.

Experiencing Grief

It is highly important that those who are left behind will grieve for the loss of a loved one. One of the most common mistakes that people commit is trying to mask their grief. Some become so into it that they convince themselves that the death did not happen. It is important to experience grief and sadness.

Remember that there are different types of grief that people may experience. It is normal for people to feel anger in the beginning and to experience some sort of denial but over time, acceptance is already inevitable.

You have to remember that grief is draining experience. Having to understand how to deal with grief will help people become more at ease faster than ever. There are a lot of ways by which people can cope. Some can cope by immersing themselves at work or they may also focus on things that are related to funerals like Virginia Cremation Services. Some just try to remember the happy memories they have had with the person.

Death in the family is always hard and nobody can expect that it will be easy but remember that this is something that normally happens. Dealing with it can be hard but when people look at the situation with hope, this can have the faith that people need in the future.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net