Thursday, April 16, 2009

YOUR FUNERAL

I have been thinking a lot of things today. Being alone in my not-so-nice flat flooded by waste water (the drainage outside once again was blocked and the maintenance could not think of a possible solution) many strange thoughts came to my mind. One thought that caught my attention was the truth of dying. What if I die?

I think I have to clarify. I really have no intention of dying, at least not any time soon. Not today, not tomorrow. But most of us feel that way. This is the truth. We all die. How? No one knows.

But it is certain. Can you figure out the day of your funeral? Okay, let’s do some mental exercise.

Lie on your back, in a quiet room, cross your hands over your chest and pretend that you are dead. Everything is over. Relax, and clear your mind. Then envision yourself at your funeral. Do you see people crying or talking? What are they saying?

Don’t be hard on yourself. This is just a mental exercise and it's not a popularity contest. How many people have you seen at your funeral? It doesn't matter. If you don't have many people in your life, then use the people whom you’re in contact with.

These people will be talking about you. Be totally honest with what you might be hearing. Were you a generous person? Were you a loving, honest and sincere partner? Were you a loyal buddy? Were you a good neighbor? Were you a respectful employee? Were you a happy individual? Are people saying how much they will miss you? That they will miss your generosity of spirit? Are people saying that it is sad you are gone, but you really weren't a very good person? Do you hear them saying that you were successful, but at the expense of others? What may people be saying, I don’t care. This is your funeral. You have to pick the conversations.

My point on this exercise is to really look at where we are in our lives and where we gonna be for the rest of it. The effect on what we have on others is very realistic. We only get one short life. There is no re-take. So let’s must be a person we want to be remembered – a life well-lived.

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6 comments:

sha lang ako said...

baka gawa lang ng baha yan kaya ganito naisip mong i-post..ehehe
i guess knowing where we are right now is at least important to some extent. hmm... palaisipan tuloy ito.

btw, i gave u an award po. visit me again to get it.tnx. :)

NJ Abad said...

Ruph, got an award for you. Pick it up at the desert!

Randy Santiago said...

Ganito ang senaryo nang lamay at libing ko...

Nagtataka ako kung bakit sila umiiyak. Wala namang nangyari sa kanila. Ako ang namatay pero sila ang umiiyak.

Natutuwa ako. Tumatawa ako. Naiisip kong mahal rin pala nila ako.

Nanghihinayang ako sa isang sulok. Naiisip kong maikli ang buhay. Hindi dapat ako nagsayang ng oras.

Sayang... sayang... sayang.... kung maibabalik ko lang.

Ruel said...

@edsie,
Di lang to baha..bahang-baha..hehe
Thanks sa award mo ang cute, ang ganda!

@NJ,
Nakuha ko na ang award..Salamat po..Sa uulitin..hehe

@Mike,
'Wag kang manghihinayang..May panahon pa..hehe Tapos na ang exercise..Balik kana sa dati..to a real you!

Violet Manila said...

it's really a nice thing to do -- contemplating not only about life but also about it's counterpart ('yung death nga)

sa kulturang pinoy kasi, taboo ang pagusapan ang kamatayan lalo within the family... madalas pag nag-oopen ako about my plans kung sakaling mamatay ako, sinasaway ako ng kausap ko, telling "wag ka nga magsalita ng ganyan"

...pero come to think of it, importante ring maging realistic tayo, at importante ring pagusapan ang paksang ito

...salamat sa post mo, marami sa mga mambabasa ang makaka-alalang mag-reflect about life, blessings and death ^_^

The Pope said...

Think about your life in the context of your death. What's really important? Once you have learned how to live, the fear of death vanishes, because death is as natural as birth and life. There is no escaping it.

Great post.