Welcome to the Heaven's Gate

Four days ago since I was confronted with one of the saddest realities – my grandmother died.

I was in a state of denial by then. I have certain hopes in my mind that maybe, just maybe, she just fell into a deep sleep and would eventually wake up. I had a concept of death like a school aged child.

But reality slapped me when I heard about her death confirmation.

I know, death is inevitable. And on one way or another, we will all go back to our Father’s hands – there, we will all experience eternal happiness.  Somehow, I am happy for my grandmother, because she is now finally reunited with the One whom she offered her whole life serving with – GOD.

My grandmother is one of the most devoted persons I’ve known when it comes to religious service.

It was her who influenced me to be a God-fearing individual, and would always, always remind me that everything is possible when you have faith and trust in God.

Also, she is not the type of a grandmother who is over protective. I can still remember how she would spoil us with iced candies even though our Mom would already say, “tama na, ang tam-is sina…”

Sigh.. How I miss the old times being with you, Nay. The nights wherein we would all dance happily without hesitations (since we were all small, innocent kids back then) and she would also dance with us. How we would all welcome the year and celebrate Mama’s birthday and have a mini reunion with Auntie Nen and Auntie Bing’s family the day after.

I know, everything will not be the same anymore.

And we will all miss you, Nay. Your memories will forever live in our hearts. We will forever love you. Welcome to the heaven’s gate.

From the book, 
there were also five lessons 
that I learned.

Lesson 1:

“Fairness does not govern life and death. If it did, no good person would ever die young.”

“The human spirit knows, deep down, that all lives intersects. That death doesn’t just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives changed.”

“What good came from your death?” Eddie asked the Blue Man. “You lived” he answered.

“Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know.”

Lesson 2

“Sacrifice. You made one. I made one.” said the Captain. “Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to…. A mother works so her son can go to school. A daughter who moves home to take care of her sick father…. A man goes to war…”

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.”

Lesson 3

“Holding anger is a poison. It eats you from inside. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us. But hate is a curved blade. And the hard we do, we do to ourselves.”

“Do you remember the lightness you felt when you arrived in heaven?” Ruby asked. “That’s because no one is born with anger. And when we die our soul is freed form it. Forgive.”

Lesson 4:

“Life has to end, Love doesn’t.” (Marguerite)

“Lost love is still love, Eddie. It just takes a different form, that’s all…Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.”

Lesson 5:

“Children, you keep them safe. You make good for me” (Tala)

“Is where you were supposed to be…”

In the end, it is all like “butterfly effect”… what we do  affect things and people…every minute of our lives. So with that in mind, we must make everything and every moment worthwhile…