Saturday, March 12, 2005
Friday, March 11, 2005
Thanks to nephew and brother-in-law dropping us (my sister-in-law and me) off in DC for catching the 3:30 am-bus from Chinatown, DC to Chinatown, NY early this morning (about 3 am). We arrived at NY Chinatown around 7:30am very on time. Sister-in-law knows what's good and where to get them so we picked up some goodies to eat in the apartment of her mother-in-law who was awake and had breakfast with us. I am thankful that she let us stay overnight for the occasion.
The burial ceremony was around 11 am so that we had a lot of time to circle around Chinatown, and do some window shopping. At the funeral home (for cousin of mother-in-law), we met up with some relatives whom I had not seen for a long time and some relatives whom I just met for the first time. I still feel that funerals are for the living; once again, people felt connected and warm in spite of loss and sorrow. When we got back from the cemetery, we had late lunch. Around 4 pm, we were heading to the other funeral for viewing today.
That was for brother of father-in-law's first wife. His ninty-five years old wife passed away last year. He was a good man who told his wife that he would always take care of her therefore he would go after her. Surely enough God let him keep his promise. In chinese custom, you add three years into the actual age when someone pass away. He was now ninty-seven years old; when three years was added, he was considered one hundred years old. He was exalted into a higher place than others; it's allowed to be cheerful in the funeral ceremony. I met up with more relatives who I had already known and some more who I didn't know. Deeply sorrow, and missing him, his children were able to share some of his latest days' episodes in Vermount with me. I appreciated that.
After dinner, we had plenty of time to share with mother-in-law of sister-in-law. We watched many episodes of soap-opera. We didn't go to bed until 12:30. She invited me to watch more with her before we will catch the 5pm bus home tomorrow. She surely knows how to live in spite of her suffering in many illness. She should be a model for the elderly. One more thing, she lived on the fifth floor and she had to walk with a cane but it did not stop her going out to chat with her friends or play MaJian everyday. I love her spirit.
Thanks to nephew and brother-in-law dropping us (my sister-in-law and me) off in DC for catching the 3:30 am-bus from Chinatown, DC to Chinatown, NY early this morning (about 3 am). We arrived at NY Chinatown around 7:30am very on time. Sister-in-law knows what's good and where to get them so we picked up some goodies to eat in the apartment of her mother-in-law who was awake and had breakfast with us. I am thankful that she let us stay overnight for the occasion.
The burial ceremony was around 11 am so that we had a lot of time to circle around Chinatown, and do some window shopping. At the funeral home (for cousin of mother-in-law), we met up with some relatives whom I had not seen for a long time and some relatives whom I just met for the first time. I still feel that funerals are for the living; once again, people felt connected and warm in spite of loss and sorrow. When we got back from the cemetery, we had late lunch. Around 4 pm, we were heading to the other funeral for viewing today.
That was for brother of father-in-law's first wife. His ninty-five years old wife passed away last year. He was a good man who told his wife that he would always take care of her therefore he would go after her. Surely enough God let him keep his promise. In chinese custom, you add three years into the actual age when someone pass away. He was now ninty-seven years old; when three years was added, he was considered one hundred years old. He was exalted into a higher place than others; it's allowed to be cheerful in the funeral ceremony. I met up with more relatives who I had already known and some more who I didn't know. Deeply sorrow, and missing him, his children were able to share some of his latest days' episodes in Vermount with me. I appreciated that.
After dinner, we had plenty of time to share with mother-in-law of sister-in-law. We watched many episodes of soap-opera. We didn't go to bed until 12:30. She invited me to watch more with her before we will catch the 5pm bus home tomorrow. She surely knows how to live in spite of her suffering in many illness. She should be a model for the elderly. One more thing, she lived on the fifth floor and she had to walk with a cane but it did not stop her going out to chat with her friends or play MaJian everyday. I love her spirit.
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