Very recently, a family friend,someone from parish church, back in my home country, died from brain tumour. He was still young man, full of life, but been struggling with tumour for 8 years... He supported my family through difficult time, my Mum when my Dad died a year ago unexpectadly from heart attack. He was a friend to my younger brother and together with him regularly travelling to elders meeting to church. We all knew this man had beenvery ill but hoped he would overcome the illness. He lived his life fully...he died and I missed words. I tried to find some clumsy words to express condolences to his own older brother, who is same age as me... I felt so much pain for their family... Probably even more as I went through several bereavements in last few months, including supporting friend few days before her little boy died in hospital.... I missed the words, i was not able to attend funeral of family friend abroad and I did not get invited to funeral of my friends child as she prefered be with her close family and her own community. I respected that all... and I even more appreciate that back in January family invited me to funeral of someone whom I supported at work...seeing that persons face in coffin, seeing how peaceful and happy he looked, with no pain, was very freeing and very uplifting experince...of course I cried, of course I was very sad. I hugged his Mum and his sisters, whom all I knew very well...we felt so connected, united in pain and reconciled in a way...I knew I was to them unbeliever from different culture and religion, but we all stood there, united in bereavement, by this man's coffin...
That powerful experience comes back now, together with memories of saying Bye to my Dad and kissing his face in coffin last year, that all comes back now with every new bereavement... We live and die... We live our lives through many amazing experiences, both the joy and the pain, weaving all those in a beautiful mosaic of our human lives...
Living life with its fullness... Here and now... Being thankful for precious gift of life. So with tears in my eyes I painted the paintings ... Crying for family friend who died in Czech Republic and symbolically lighting candle for him in my painting, knowing he is now free, happy and has no pain...
That powerful experience comes back now, together with memories of saying Bye to my Dad and kissing his face in coffin last year, that all comes back now with every new bereavement... We live and die... We live our lives through many amazing experiences, both the joy and the pain, weaving all those in a beautiful mosaic of our human lives...
Living life with its fullness... Here and now... Being thankful for precious gift of life. So with tears in my eyes I painted the paintings ... Crying for family friend who died in Czech Republic and symbolically lighting candle for him in my painting, knowing he is now free, happy and has no pain...
