Last year I lost my grandfather and this was a huge blow.
More for my father as he had lost his father!
He was 96 years old but this didn't make it sting less.
It hurt crazy man!
The arrangements were made and he was buried as per Luo traditions.
Back story ...
Our clan is a warrior clan and hence men with spears had to dance around after his burial.
The ceremony was a success and we put him to rest.
We know his soul is in a better place.
Let me repeat...
We know his soul is in a better place but we still mourned.
Nothing ever prepares you for the loss of a loved one.
He was old and grey but still didn't make sense.
Now, we also got to experience a complete 360.
My younger cousin a few months old lost her life early this year.
She was so beautiful and innocent.
I had put off visiting her with hopes of getting her a brilliant gift when I did.
We shared a brief moment during the Christmas family party when I held her in my arms before she was put to sleep.
The joy was insurmountable.
She was too tiny for the liveliness she had.
I made a silent decision to spoil her crazy once she grew older.
Nothing prepared me for the cold phone call my mother made on that Saturday morning asking my brothers and me to meet her at the hospital.
We were scared!
Rushing into the hospital the gloom was evident and everyone at the reception could tell from our faces what we were there for.
They pointed us to a room in the south of the hospital.
I was shaking...
We got in to find my mom and her sisters- one who was the baby's mother - crying their eyes out.
There on the bed lay Baby Kelsey's lifeless body.
It was overwhelming!
There she(death) was again.
Taking another person I loved.
I had talked to her earlier on when the year started.
I told her to avoid my family but she couldn't listen.
She had to show her then ugly face again!
She was a shameless visitor, but was she really?
Her inevitability spoke to the masses but why was I surprised?
It was her nature, and it is the same as our nature.
We are of the nature to die and trying to fight it is futile.
This is similar to attempting to empty the ocean a bucket at a time,
IMPOSSIBLE!
The Wisem*n before us knew this and left it as one of the five remembrances I've been covering...
At times we fear death as it takes people we love means that we could be next and that could be true.
My attempt however is to take back the power it took from us by bringing grief and fear.
We can face death and smile knowing it gifted our loved ones and eventually us the gift of being with Divinity.
We can choose to celebrate our loved ones and bid them goodbye for becoming souls free from the limitations of the body.
My grandfather and Baby Kelsey have departed from this world, yet their essence remains with us, forever cherished in our memories and stories.
Their lives, though vastly different in length and experience, taught us the same profound truth: the value of every moment and the importance of holding our loved ones close.
In facing the loss of those we hold dear, we can draw strength from the poignant words of Dylan Thomas, who urged us to confront the end with defiance and courage:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
My grandfather lived a full life, embodying the resilience and spirit of our warrior clan, leaving behind a legacy of strength and honor.
Baby Kelsey, though her time with us was brief, brought immeasurable joy and innocence, reminding us of the beauty of life in its purest form.
As I reflect on their departures, I find solace in knowing that they are now free from the constraints of the physical world, united with the divine.
Their memories are immortalized here, not just for our own hearts but for the coming generations who will know them through these words.
In remembering and honoring them, we gain the strength to thrive in a world filled with uncertainty.
Embracing the inevitability of change and loss allows us to appreciate the present, live more fully, and love more deeply.
By confronting our fears and finding peace in the natural order of life, we reclaim the power that grief and fear attempt to take from us.
Have a blessed weekend!
