Eirene is Jed Chun's personal blog, hosted by Joy Is Found. It's a reflective blog that he started with the intention of finding joy and renewing his awe of God in his everyday life as well as the places and things that are around him. He explores a variety of topics in relation to faith such as food, mental health, travel and relationships.
I think it goes without saying that the last year has undoubtedly been difficult for many people but, as the seasons begin to change, so too do the winds of life change. Accompanying these changes is time to remember those who have departed and moved on to be with the Lord. It isn’t often that I decide to write about my family, but it seems that now is as good a time as any to start. Though thankfully none of my family members have passed on due to COVID, both of my remaining grandparents (grandmothers from both sides of the family) did go on to meet the Lord. While neither of their deaths were surprises, their passing does not make the process of grieving easier. This is especially so for my parents, neither of whom have been able to return to Hong Kong to say their final goodbyes.
Though I can’t say that I had deep relationships with either of my grandmothers, or any of my grandparents for that matter, their passing still brought about a sense of loss. In some ways, it is the extension of empathy towards my parents, who have had to come to terms with the less-than-ideal situation of having to say their goodbyes virtually. There is a sense of pain that comes with being physically distant, as many of us have become familiar with over the last year and a half, and when that distance becomes permanent, the pain of separation doesn’t ease. Yet the passing of a loved one evokes a different kind of pain, one that is more rooted in the sense of loss of a relationship and a deep emotional bond and connection that only a child and a parent can share.
There is also the loss of stories and memories from two people whose lives were closely intertwined with mine – a product of, even. With their passing there will be stories that I will never hear, questions that I will never have answers for, and a connection that I was never able to truly develop. Yet, despite the distance and separation of death, they will continue to live on, in part, in the lives that they have created, the legacies of the lives they lived.
I can’t say that this will be much of a eulogy and I can’t tell you if their lives were extraordinary, but I do know that I have much to be grateful for and, no matter the circumstances, have ultimately been a blessing from God.
Thank you for the lives that you lived, the people you brought into this world. Without the sacrifices that you made I would have never made it into this world. Thank you for your resilience and perseverance, for overcoming the pain and struggle that you have had to endure to bring your children to a place where they could grow up safely. Thank you for allowing them to leave your side, fostering their independence, to explore the world, and gain the experiences wisdom that they have. These experiences have helped color and guide my life. Thank you for allowing them to get married and live in a country so far from your own, opening the opportunity for me to live with the blessings I have today. Thank you for passing on the value of family, teaching me the value of lives that are not your own. There is much that I wish that I could know and learn but alas, there is no longer time for that - but in heaven we will see each other again, and we will have a glorious reunion.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's childrenPsalm 103:15-17 ESV
I have no wisdom to pass on today, just words and thoughts from the recesses of my heart. Thank you for taking the time to read what I have to say.