Recently, my grandma reminded me that my mom’s 1 year death anniversary is drawing near. She reminded me to inform my brother to carry out our prayers at the temple where her tablet sits.
It has been almost a year. Going by the Lunar Calender, it falls on January 11, about a month or so to go.
To me, the date doesn’t really matter. My mom lives in my heart and memory.
Just like a book, the story matters, more than the book itself.
Story = Mom
Book = Tablet
Library = Temple
Something along this line.
But ever since my mom’s passing, I realised the importance of carrying out prayers in the temple, ‘celebrating’ Qing Ming Festival / Chinese New Year, etc. Ritual has a meaning now. This is the time when family meets, especially one that is not close. I look forward to seeing my brother. Not that we are estranged, but we weren’t close. We don’t talk casually. We talk business.
On a different note.
When my father died, we were estranged from my paternal family.
When my mother died, we are kind of estranged from my maternal family. And the paternal family returns and decided that bygones are bygones. And they showed me this…..
Is this how the universe work? One hand loses, one hand grabs?
I am not sure of how this extended family thing will get into my life but one thing for sure, my ‘Ang’, my brother and his wife, these people are what matters to me most.
And with this……it shall be the end of acaregiversjournal.
