Changes
In my late teen years, I have been blessed by realizing at an early age what I was suppose to do with my family heritage. It is none other than to challenge, improve and adopt it to the times.With that comes throwing tradition out of the window.
[ I don't know exactly when I started implementing this, but ]
One of the things I practiced was, breaking the tradition of visiting loved ones on All-Saints Day. It just happens to be one of those very "commercial" occassions in Manila. I brought this up because I recently learned that one of my good friends shared this view with me while we were walking in a busy street in downtown. All it took was a hard downpour of rain, and the next thing we knew, we were at a fastfood exchanging stories of our lives.
I was impressed at hearing wisegal's stories; she seems to have little regard to family opinion, and she knows what she wants. I guess that's what happens when you strive to survive in life when there is no one to back you up. I have nothing but great respect and admiration for her.
It dawned on me that while we all have departed loved ones, we don't actually visit them when we go to cemeteries. Their souls leave their bodies. And they are where your religion says they are (yep, heaven is only for christianity, I respect all religion, so go fill in your own blanks). And the dead don't need money. Living people do. While I find it a noble act to spend and spend for occassions such as All-Saints day, I'm sure that our departed loved ones will appreciate prayers, more than ANYTHING else that you can do on earth. Nope, it's not flowers, candles, or building houses for tombs.
And the even greater thing, if I really am staunch about visiting my departed relatives -- I won't visit them on All-Saints day. I'd visit them randomly even once a year. What is more natural and comes from your heart is true, compared to doing something because everyone expects it.
posted by Urban Warrior @ 6:50 PM
4 Comments:
i hate going to the cemeteries... it just makes me feel worse about death...
my mom does that....she visits my grandma's burial chamber more than once a year, and she's been doing that for like 20 years already!
i, on the other hand, have not done so for a long long time. guess, i didn't inherit my mom's faithful heart =(
i don't see the point of going to the cemetery at all. I think it will help them more if we just pray for their souls. I just don't believe they're still there or if they will care less if they have flowers or candles.
erica,
you feel worse about death whenever things are going good. Just remember that no matter how high you go, we will all die one day.
jaz,
don't worry, your mother is still alive - that's why the tradition isn't continuing. it doesn't mean it's bad. if that's the truth, then that's the truth.
rhia,
Girls, check this out - I'm hearing this from a catholic. =D
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