TEARS AND SMILES ✍️

Joy and Sorrow are part of all our lives. But so often, they just cross paths unexpectedly, and get so totally intertwined; that we don't really know, whether we should be feeling happy or sad, whether we should be smiling or crying. 

But, what made me write about 'Tears and Smiles', early this morning?🤔

A death in the family, last evening. The loss of a loved one, from the oldest generation in the family; which has literally been sandwiched, between two birthdays, in the youngest generation.😔

Yesterday, an uncle of mine, said his final goodbye to this earthly life.

Coincidentally, there have also been two birthdays in the family, both yesterday and today. 

Sadly, that same Uncle's Grandson, celebrates his Birthday today. What a sad Birthday memory for him, which will last forever!😪

It's a confusing feeling for everyone in the family, whenever things like this happen.

Having to wish our two nephews on their birthdays, right in the middle of offering words of condolence, comfort and reassurance. 

Most of us cousins, did both of course. But somehow, everyone modified the 'Happy Birthday' wishes, because of the sadness in all our hearts.💔

But whenever things like this happen, it always  makes me stop for a while, and ponder over the 'uncertainty of Life and Death', this constant 'fruit-salad of Happiness and Sadness'; and about how these contradictory feelings and emotions, frequently overlap one another, during the course of our lives.

The strangest thing is that, this isn't even the first time, that events like these, have coincided and overlapped, in our family. 

One of my Aunt's, lost both her Dad (my Grandfather), and her younger brother, on her birthday, in two different years.

Two years ago, another Uncle died on my cousin's birthday. 

And back in 2018, my Mum also passed away, on the birthday of her cousin.

But, the most difficult moment of all, for the Family; was when my Dad bid farewell to this world, in 2009. It was just two days before my cousin's wedding. So, we sadly had a Funeral and a Wedding in the Family, on two consecutive days.😔

I'm sure that lots of people, may have experienced moments like these, in their own Families too. 

But, on both sides of my extended family, this overlap of happy and sad occasions, has happened quite often, over the years.

Probably, it's something that should make all of us, stop and think about.

How happiness and sadness are two feelings and emotions, that cannot really be separated from one another. They always go hand in hand; and somehow, we have to learn to accept both, by learning how to 'Smile through our Tears', just a little more, everyday. ✍️