LIVING & DYING : STILL A MYSTERY ?

This is how I want to remember our beloved Dion(or Boy to the Philkans): Happy, cheerful, very much alive, living every moment with complete abandon !!!

Poets, sages and philosophers say, "Life is checkered light and shadow", like a checker board divided into white and black squares. At the gathering after we accompanied Boy to his final resting place, I found it surprisingly amazing and comforting how each and everyone there sees only all-white squares !!! In a comtemplative, yet elated mood I asked myself these questions : "Will my friends and family miss me like Boy ?" "Will they love me like Boy ?" "Will they see only all the white squares of my life ? "Is it possible that when one moves on to a higher plane of dimension, one starts with an all-white blank slate, all his transgressions are forgiven ?" I wonder !!! And so, death and dying can be beautiful and not altogether scary like all of us are led to believe, then ? And why not ?

Since we, the Philkans, regard ourselves as the second family of Boy, I found it fitting to include here, the anonymous poem "The Broken Chain"

"THE BROKEN CHAIN"

We did not know that evening, that God was going to call your name
In life we love you dearly, in death we'll do the same.
It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone
For part of us went with you, the day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories, your love is still our guide
And though we can not see you, you're always by our side.
Our family CHAIN is broken, and nothing seems the same
But as God calls us one by one, the CHAIN will link again.

Finally, as much as we would like to sing this song during the church services, time constraint prevented us from doing so. And so, I will include it here, even if only the first verse and the refrain of "On Eagle's Wings" for Boy. "We love you", "We will miss you, Boy ! " "Sai An Jima ", "Sauka Lafia", "Safe Journey"

"ON EAGLE' WINGS"

You who dwell on the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock
In whom I trust.

And He will lift you up on eagle's wings
Bear you on the break of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun
And hold you in the palm of His hands.