Mortality

I have been to quite a few funerals for my family involving my cousins on both sides of my family. I've traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii, Las Vegas, NV and have been connected with Facebook as family send their condolences to distant relatives and their passing. Facebook keeps us connected in ways that were not possible 20 years ago and I'm very glad that this is possible today. Such a sad time of passing makes me think of my own mortality in this vibrant, beautiful and spirited world. I cannot imagine the possibilities of not living and always seeking the dark as many people often do. There must be a switch within me that prevents me from the darkness. People live through wars, atrocities that I cannot fathom, living on the streets in weather conditions I have never experienced and many more struggles that on one should have to go through but they do and they persevere against all odds. We go on. We shed tears of joy, sorrow, happiness and pain. We sometimes shed tears for no reason, does there have to be? My own sadness stems from the passing of my parents whom I love very much. They loved their children and family. My mother was a very giving individual as was my father. They always took care of family and friends. Where ever we lived family members always find us and a gathering that would be for a night ended up being for the whole weekend. This is where I receive the gift of caring, giving, loyalty, loving and generosity. All of my values, I credit my parents for this and can only hope that my children strive to attain these values and pass them onto whom ever they come in contact with. A paying if forward, if you will. I try to one good deed a day and have probably done too many deeds at work and people take a step back and realize the uniqueness of my gesture. Their guard comes down and they offer hugs, a smile, a word of thanks and realize there is good in this world.

Hey Mom, I'm getting married

That's what the early morning text read when I woke up this morning. It was from my oldest daughter Nani who has been estranged from me for many months. She is currently living with her boyfriend in Pacifica, California. The text reads, "Hey mom, I'm getting married next year. I love you and would really like you to be there" That text came in the form of a Facebook message. The message was unclear but it offered a chance to finally, maybe talk to my daughter whom I have been missing for quite some time. So far, no other contact has been received other than calling her phone and speaking with her fiancee and letting him know to give her the message to call me back. I wish she would have called me to give me the message of her joyous news and not by Facebook message. But this is the digital age of social media and a form of communication that will soon be lost. I know that I would have called and given the message personally through phone or in person. I do hope to catch up with her soon and share the details of her event.