Grandma's Passing

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It was an afternoon at around 4pm when my sister, Chloe suddenly called me through LINE. I was puzzled why my phone rang on silent mode for a long time, not hesitating to cease, so I quickly picked it up, walked to the locker room and asked what was going on. 

"Lola Francis has just passed away at her bedroom."

I paused for a few seconds, but I wasn't shocked. I knew it would come this year. 

We took another five minutes, talking about our life with her before I left the Philippines. She was one of our favorite grandmothers in our clan. I felt very sad that I cancelled my journal writing routine at the park after work, and just made a quick shopping for that night's dinner, and started working in the kitchen. 

I couldn't release any emotion except sadness. We will truly miss her; but we also knew it was her time and she anticipated for it for almost a decade now. And now, she is forever at rest.

Death has visited our family every now and then, and as we grow older each year, it reminds me that every minute is a treasure of choice. Should we allow personal problems to destroy our plans? Must we make every day a moment of negativity? 

With all the struggles of being an adult, it's difficult to find happiness each day. But it is also a choice to see the small blessings we have each day, such as being able to breathe, eat and drink, have at least four senses that work (if not five), a family and a house to live in, and the list goes on. Someday, we will also be in our grandparents' shoes, where our last moments of air will come to an end, and now is our chance to cherish every hour while we are at our strongest.