The journey of life is not always a path of roses and happiness. The world is enveloped with the balance of night & day, happiness & sadness and birth & deaths, eventually.
My dearest mother left us in March 2015 and my father joined my mother in August last month. They have been the most loving couple I have seen as they had never quarreled even once and were inseparable.
My family made a trip to our hometown in Penang last week to fulfill my parents wishes to conduct the internment of their ashes into the sea.
It was a beautiful morning from the windows of my room
at Evergreen Laurel Hotel @ Gurney Drive.
We arrived at the quiet and tranquil beach of Teluk Bahang
where no tourists would swim here. I fetched 2 monks to bless
and conduct the internment ceremony.
My family, siblings and their families boarded the chartered boat.
I brought along an ice box full of jasmine with rose petals.
My parents loved flowers and we always had beautiful flowers
in the gardens of the homes we had lived.
After some chanting and prayers by the monks, the older
siblings had to pour both our parents' ashes into the sea.
My sister wept throughout the whole journey as she is
the oldest child who was naturally the closest and well pampered
by my parents. When you become the youngest child in the family,
you will notice that you have the least photographs of yourself in the
family albums, naturally. They also spoke lesser to me!!
Muahahahaha!
........Good Bye to my parents......
My parents are reunited again in the Land of Eternity.
Thank you very much to my parents for giving me the
happiest memories!
Our hearts were very sad and heavy.
We had to return to the land and life moves on.
******
ReplyDeleteI spilled tears reading your blog .
Your family is very great
Your family is full of affection .
My parents were very open minded and brought us up well. They were modern with western ideas where they encouraged us to be independent from young but my mother's Thai styled upbringing was strict where manners & respect was concerned.
DeleteThank you for sharing your parents' last journey with us.
ReplyDeleteMay they rest in peace and be together in heaven.
Thank you for your comforting words. Life is such where we all have to face the same situations.
DeleteThey had a good time together when they were still alive - very nice of you and your siblings to fulfil your parents' final wish. May they rest in peace in another world.
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed having a happy time again dancing on the clouds. Thank you for your kind words.
Deleteom mani padme hum
ReplyDeleteThanks Doc for your kind prayers.
DeleteI felt a sense of sadness when I read this post, TM :(
ReplyDeleteParents is the most important person in everyone's lives, without them we also won't be here. So naturally we have to go through the most painful stage when they are gone.
Thinking at the bright side, they are now reunited in a better world, they will watch you all from up there.
You stay strong, take good care ok?
Hugs~~
I will always have to be strong. I have braved myself for a long time knowing that this fateful day would come. When it comes, the reality turns into a dream.
DeleteOn the bright side, your parents are now reunited again. They were apart about 4-5 months but at are together again now.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the lesser pictures of the younger child. I have yet to print any pictures of my youngest son and he is already 3 yo! I have many albums of my eldest though >_<
The death of both my parents were like 16 months apart. I think my writing was not stated clear enough.
DeleteIt is so natural that the youngest child would have the least photos, attention and inherited all the hands-down clothes & toys too! Wakakaka
I think you wrote 2016 instead of 2015, that's why submerryn counted 5 months instead of more than a year.
DeleteThank you so much Mun. I was so blurr like sotong and didn't even realised it. My bad and poor maths!!
DeleteI am sure your parents are happy now as they reunited again, as well as seeing how filial you guys are. A life story has ended which starred your parents and this is their last chapter. They have peace now.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah , I also noticed I took more of my son pics when he was a baby. Of course now different , as my son doesn't like to take pic already while my daughter keep posing as my model! Lol
Be a good daddy and start snapping more photos of your pretty Princess so that she would not find out her albums have lesser photos. LOL
DeleteI understand how you feel... Until today, I still miss my mother who left in 2014. I still dream of her, in fact, almost every day... I dint know why... I asked my siblings and they tokd me they dont dream of her often
ReplyDeleteYour mother must have loved you the most to come into your dreams so often.
DeleteAnyway i dont mind having her in my dreams every now and then.... She leaves behind a lot of sweet memories .... I really miss her very much!!
ReplyDeleteYou have been a very good daughter to your mum! I remember her photos in your blog as very few bloggers ever shared their mother's photos.
DeleteI miss my mother too. They tend to speak more with the kids than our fathers.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...
ReplyDeleteOur parents brought us to this world, and it is fitting that we send them off...
This is what we could do at least. There is no way we could repay all the kindness of our parents. You have been a good son too.
DeleteSo sorry for your loss! It's really nice to read about your loving parents, Tan. They'll be happy to reunite again....
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very kind words. They are united again now.
DeleteTM, this is a very sad post. I read it last evening and was teary eyed. May your parents rest in peace.
ReplyDeletePoor you, I just wrote my post not intending to make anyone cry. Hope you will spend more time with your parents always. Someday everything becomes an illusion and dreams.
DeleteGod bless you all for the filial piety towards your parents. I am sure your parents are happy together now.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
My parents must be happy together again now. Thank you and I will be strong.
DeleteI feel sad reading this but at the same, glad that they had a fulfilling lives together. I cant imagine having to lose both parents almost at the same time. And now you made me miss mine. :-) God bless you.
ReplyDeleteMy heart still aches at times but feels light that they are no longer suffering in this world. Thank you for your kind words.
DeleteWhen i saw the pictures in Facebook, sadness came upon me...
ReplyDeleteLife is just a journey that we all go through.
Deleteu r blessed with a happy and loving parents...I was indeed surprised that you mentioned that they never quarrel even once (?)...It is such rare for couple these days...How did they do it? Anyhow, God bless your family and may they rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteIt was simple. My dad had no temper while my mum had quick tempers like spicy Thai food. So how to spark a quarrel when my dad had none? LOL
DeleteI think I inherited some of my father's traits.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Such a poignant send-off for your parents, TM...well done! My emotions were in check reading this until I got to the box of flowers (as I always associate flowers with two ends of the spectrum....happiness or sadness). Just know that you have done your job well taking care of them and that they're happy and together for eternity. Life is a journey and we're here for as long as God wants us to be. God bless and take care!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your kind words. As I wrote and posted these photos, I had to be strong myself. Of all the plans and preparations for the ritual of ashes internment, the hardest part was to get the fresh jasmine in a huge quantity. The feeling of contentment was beyond words when I collected them from the florist as the heavy rains had affected the harvests that day.
DeleteThis is a very touching post, Anay. I missed my parents too though they have both left me many years ago. I still talk about them to my children. I pity my children for not able to see my parents.
ReplyDeleteYou have done all you could for your parents and they are now happy together again.
Like you say, life is still go on, be happy, always, Anay and Letchumy.
I can understand your feelings too as I always remembered that you lost your parents when you were so much younger. I was always dreadful for this moment for me to walk the same journey. I could see how well the experience has prompted you to give only the best attention and love to you 2 princesses! You are a wonderful mother and I am sure your parents are very proud of you always.
DeleteThank you very much for your kind words.
I can relate to your post as I also lost mine but I saw their passing as an end to their human life and the beginning of a heavenly one. You are a good man and that is enough for them to smile and say that they did a great job. Be brave and continue to lead a good example.
ReplyDeleteYou were so tough to endure all the pain and sadness alone, so far away from home and family. Thank you very much for your kind words.
DeleteThis post is very touching. I am the oldest in the family and it is true that my father dotes on me when he is alive.
ReplyDeleteYour parents is one sweet couple and they are now reunited in heaven, may they rest in peace.
You were fortunate to receive the best attention from your father. He left all the best memories for you to move on. Thank you very much for your kind words.
DeleteSame as Claire, when my dad passed away, the first few years, I dreamed of him almost everyday
ReplyDeleteI try not to dream of them if possible as I would be too sad until I might cling on to their souls.
DeleteIndeed, you're right, the youngest in the family has the least photo, especially my case is the closest one is 7 years older than me, but thankfully I still communicate a lot with them.
ReplyDeleteStay strong!
You may have the least photos but I believe that you get better treatment and attention from so many. I am sure your oldest sibling has the most photos but least attention compared to you.
DeleteThank you very much for your kind words.
Hope your parents are together somewhere out there. You have carried out their wishes to the fullest.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest brother has the most photos because we the older siblings keep taking photos of him.
On another note, I think I should not eat fishes the sea since people tend to pour cremated ashes into the sea so does it mean some sea fishes could have eaten the ashes and then I eat the sea fishes ???
Your comments really tickled me. It got me thinking what else you might have to do besides not eating fishes. LOLOL Even the vegetable farms are often near hidden cemeteries.
DeleteI also hope my parents would be united forever but I believe their karmas will decide this.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
Touching. May their soul rest in peace in the heavenly realms, together like before, and they they bless you with all the happiness.
ReplyDeleteGood luck
(Letro)
Bhutanese.
Thank you very much for your kind words.
DeleteMay your parents rest in peace. Btw, i want to stay in that Evergreen Laurel Hotel.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for your kind words.
DeleteSorry for your loss Twilight
DeleteMay their soul rest in peace now~~
ReplyDeleteNote to myself: We must do whatever we can to comfort and make our parents happy when we still have chances.