The very foundations of our existence. Joy and pain. Laughter and crying. To be and then to not be.
When people are born, they often bring joy to those close to them. A responsibility; one more mouth to feed; one more person to worry about; one more reason to lose sleep. Yet, if you ask most parents, the first word they use to describe the emotion brought by a newborn is “joy”.
Just as people are born, a time comes when they pass away. One less responsibility; one less mouth to feed; one less person to worry about; yet again, one more reason to lose sleep. Naturally, a word some would use to describe the feelings brought by death is “pain”.
Our lives are intertwined, more so with members of the family than friends or acquaintances. When people pass away, a part of ours dies with them, and a part of theirs lives on with us.
Three deaths in a little over a year. Though never the same, you never get used to it. We’re bound to go through the stages of grief, over and over again, until it’s our turn to leave this world.
Bittersweet memories. Random tears. Yet, a life worth living. Life experiences in time lead to a more sophisticated emotional palate. We learn to extract value from the saddest of memories, finding happiness in pain like astrophotographers extract light from the faintest of stars.