Reflected thoughts about life and death, and in between

These thoughts were written last 1 August 2009. Our beloved former President faced death for what it is. It started with a thought on number one and trains of thoughts came in. I wish to share these thoughts in this public sphere.

This was first written at Facebook and I witnessed a surprising responses from friends.

1. Journey well Cory and hug for us Ninoy.

2. Let us be given new eyes to see death for what is does to us and to our love ones. Rather end but a beginning. Rather fear but courage. Rather despair but new hope. Rather separation but solidarity.

3. Let us see death not in weakness but a growing strength. Let not grief bury us in the selfish self, in the burden of the past, the toxic bitterness. Let death put in our lips "It does not matter" and let my arms hug life for what it is.

4. Let death humble our self-centeredness. For only in life that we can understand death. For only in death that we understand what it is to live. And what is it to you when we are confronted with a fellow clothed in poverty?

5. Our parents, our loved ones will not be there forever because life and death are our ultimate destiny. Let you and I create a home where everything and nothing exist.

6. We can only understand life if we live it. We can understand death by understanding the life of the one who passed-by by using the eyes where love dwells.

7. We are responsible for what we can attain, what we can achieve and what we are given by life. And, help from others, freely given, will always be a comfort thought.

8. Have we understood our loved one, when our loved one is inhabited by a perpetual regime of need, when these need has the power of a tsunami? And this tsunami can be deadly. Remember, we all have our own tsunami in life.

9. Let us be given new eyes. Accept that life is short and uncertain.

10. As much as success is achieved, failure is.

11. Our understanding of life is limited to our understanding of death. For if we see the nakedness of death, we will see the clothing of life.

12. In life, the ultimate liberation is ushered by death. Death is total, it frees us from an earthly existence whom we are stricken miraculously. Thus, life and death is only one.

13. Since life and death are only one, its core message is "Do not be afraid".

14. As much as a birth touches us, we are all touched by death. But what happens in-between is up to us, to our choices, finally.

15. Our own mournings are simply trappings of a distant understanding and joy that is to come.

16. Perhaps Cory and Ninoy have now embraced each other, that we can only surmise or may not be sure of. But what we have now is the presence of our loved ones, whom we are able to hold hands, kiss and embrace. This is what we call the "Present".

17. In our green gate, I placed a Philippine Flag and two yellow ribbons. The monsoon winds blows the ribbon and the flag. May we learn courage as a nation to do good to each other.

18. It is appropriate that Cory should have a State funeral. Her death extricated her from Noynoy, Balsy, Viel and Kris. Cory, now, belongs to all of us.

19. Cory is likened to an un-fenced tree. A fruit bearing tree that anyone can take the fruits for free, for the tree does not discriminate identities.

20. For ten days we will be in mourning. We will be a nation in sorrow and grief. It is not just Cory's life that we are to reflect on but also we are going to reflect on our collective life as a nation. Whatever door that will open to us will be a choice we are going to make.

21. My daughter came in bringing a book "Cory, An Intimate Portrait" edited by Margie Penson-Juico. She also bought all the broadsheet paper dedicated to Cory. I took pictures of them for posterity.

22. Organizations, self-improvement books always called for us to be perfect. But we are not born with this jewel called perfection. We have our own flaws. Rather look into perfection why not just do something good to the next person who is in need.

23. There are friends who you ask to respond to you. But after a thousand years of waiting still they have not responded. What are you going to do? The late Karen Carpenter said in a song "they are friends who are hard to find."