Sunday, 3 November 2024

ONE LITTLE ROSE: WHY WE SHOULD CELEBRATE LIFE BEFORE IT'S GONE

 

Who could forget that classic song by the APO Hiking Society?

Nakasimangot ka na lang palagi

Parang ikaw lang ang nagmamay-ari

Ng lahat ng sama ng loob

Pagmumukha mo ay hindi maipinta

Nakalimutan mo na bang tumawa

Sumasayad na ang nguso mo sa lupa

It’s a perfect example of kantiyaw, that lighthearted teasing we, Pinoys, often share among close friends or barkada, perfectly captured in the song Awit ng Barkada. This gentle ribbing, this humor tinged with fondness, is part of our culture, even greeting a friend after a long night out: “O, buhay ka pa?” or “Anyari? Para kang namatayan.”

But this humor takes on a different flavor when we remember that November is a season of reflection, marked by All Souls’ Day – the Day of the Dead or the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. This tradition, honored across Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Methodism, and more, serves as a solemn reminder to pray for and remember those who have gone before us.

A Tale of Two Deaths

Speaking of the dead, I once had an unusual brush with “death.” Or should I say, “deaths”? The first was the kind many Christians know as being “spiritually dead,” as described in Ephesians 2:1: “In the past, you were spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins.” It was only when I was “born again,” as Jesus explains in John 3:3: “Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God” – that I found new life in faith. I shared this conversion story in the January 3, 2022, ATABAY article, The Old Has Passed Away, The New Has Come.

But the second experience was quite different – an experience I’ve only read about before or dismissed as impossible. My perspective changed after listening to Lee Patrick Strobel, a former atheist-turned-Christian author and investigative journalist, who shared his insights on near-death experiences (NDEs) in Preston Baptist Church. In his book The Case for Heaven, Strobel presents compelling accounts suggesting that death is not the end but rather a transition.

Strobel’s research surprised me. He explained in a YouTube interview how over 900 scholarly articles have been written on NDEs, with documented cases of people experiencing things during “death” that defy logical explanation. One case involved a woman named Maria. Strobel narrated:

“And so, there’s this famous case of Maria who dies in the hospital of a heart attack. Conscious the whole time, she said, ‘My spirit detached from my body (which is what the Bible talks about), I watched the resuscitation efforts on my body, THEN MY SPIRIT FLOATED OUT of the hospital, up and out of the hospital.’ (Underscoring mine)

“And when she was revived, she said, ‘Oh, by the way, there’s a man's shoe on the roof of the hospital. It’s left-footed, it’s dark blue. There’s some wear over the little toe, and the shoelace is tucked under the heel.’ And they go up in the roof of the hospital and they find it – just as she had described it."

Another case Strobel shared was about Vicky Umapag, a woman blind since birth. “And yet,” he recounted, “during her near-death experience, she could see for the first time – she saw people trying to revived her body, she saw plants, she saw birds. And then, when she was revived, her blindness returned, and her eyesight disappeared. As one medical researcher said, ‘This is impossible’.”

Remembering My “Floating” Experience

Listening to Strobel, I was transported back to a peculiar moment from my childhood, when I was barely old enough to remember. I had a high fever, likely typhoid, and as my parents cared for me, I recall something strange: I was floating above them, watching them from a distance. That’s all I remember, but that eerie sensation has stayed with me all these years – a moment that aligns with the near-death experience Strobel shared.

As we reflect on the mystery of what lies beyond, the possibility of an afterlife reminds us to cherish the present life with even greater appreciation. Life, fragile and fleeing, is a precious gift – one that calls us to make each moment count.

Life's a canvas where we paint memories with those we love, a journey where kindness, laughter, and joy are the brushstrokes that add color and meaning. Yet too often, we allow our most heartfelt expressions to go unsaid, reserving words of gratitude and love for a time that may never come. If death teaches us anything, it’s the importance of seizing the present to honor and cherish one another.

In that spirit, we turn to some reflection that captures the simple yet profound desire to be remembered and appreciated while we’re still here, rather than only in memory.

Reflections on Life and Legacy

In one of his sermons, Fr. Jerry Orbos, SVD, gave this wisdom:

“We all will die. Life is short. Death is certain. Do not postpone your conversion. Now na. Tell the Lord, ‘Mahal ko po kayo. Patawad po. As for me and my household, we will serve you, Lord.’ Do not postpone your loving. Don’t let it be said that you loved too little, too late.’”

And to all of us who hold loved ones dear, Fr. Orbos shared a poem that I feel resonates deeply especially during this season:

One Little Rose

I would rather have one little rose

From the garden of a friend

Than to have the choicest flowers

When my stay on earth must end.

I would rather have one pleasant word

In kindness said to me

Than flattery when my heart is still

And life has ceased to be.

I would rather have a loving smile

From friends I know are true

Than tears shed round my casket

When this world I’ve bid adieu.

Bring me all your flowers today

Whether pink, or white, or red

I’d rather have one blossom now

Than a basketful when I’m dead.

In the spirit of All Souls’ Day, let us remember those who have gone before us, and cherish the time we have with those still here. May we live fully, love deeply, and leave behind a legacy that will be remembered warmly – not only in death but in life.

Content and editing put together in collaboration with ChatGPT

Head photo courtesy of Peter Steiner

Still photos courtesy of jplenio, painted lady, X.com, StockSnap.io, & Pixabay

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