A Centenarian Celebrating Mother's Day

And I saw him sitting on a wheel chair, staring into his late wife's photo at the urn compartment, grasping in his hands are three joss sticks which he prayed adoringly to his wife.  The two men in their 50s standing attentively beside him and occasionally wiping away the saliva that drooled onto the collar of his shirt.

They helped him placed the joss sticks into the incense burner some minutes later while the daughter caringly organise the rest of the offerings at the altar, including a Mother's Day cake.

I stood from afar, admiring every move of this family who poured their love and affection unreservedly on their aging father, a centenarian at the age of 103. They had painted the most beautiful picture in this world that spoke the word of "Filial Piety". Uncle Lim came to visit his beloved wife who had left this world almost three months ago.

Since that faithful day, there was not a day that he did not miss her, said Mdm Lim, his devoted daughter, who cared for both her parents with unimaginable strength and love.

That was weeks before Mother's Day, since then, according to Mdm Lim, her father had started to slow down on his meals intake. He had consumed more liquid then solid food. At times he appeared less alert to the surroundings.

One late afternoon, he woke up with his finger pointing forward. Unable to read his mind, Mdm Lim took down almost everything in the closet in front of the bed and asked if those were the things he wanted. This guessing game went on almost for a week with some grouses heard in between.

Then on another late afternoon, Uncle Lim woke up and again pointing at the door. This time Mdm Lim caught his idea of wanting to go out of the room, so she took him out of his bedroom and to the living room; That was not enough, he kept pointing forward and wanted to go out to the porch. Outside and on the wheelchair, he pointed out to the sky and signaled he wanted to go out of the house.

This time after endless mind boggling and dwelling, it finally dawned on Mdm Lim that her father wanted to visit her mum at Nirvana Shah Alam! Without much delay, they put him into the car and drove there with a cake and flowers, to fulfil his wish.

I regretted much that I did not take down those precious moments while the family were together feeding water and wheeled him around the Ming Palace. That was the day he was bustling with energy and all ears for food and drinks, claimed Mdm Lim.

Today I saw the family came celebrating Father's Day, with Uncle Lim's photo installed next to his wife ... it was merely two weeks after his last visit.

I guess Uncle Lim is a happy man up there with the reunion he yearned for, and I also know that the living family lives with no regrets now.

As the saying goes ~  Do say it while you can; don't wait for tomorrow, for tomorrow might not come.