By: Joseph Addison
"When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tombstone, my heart melts with compassion; when I see the tomb of the parents themselves, I consider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow; when I see kings lying by those who deposed them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or the holy men that divided the world with their contests and disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind. When I read the several dates of tombs of some that died yesterday, and some six hundred years ago, I consider that great Day when we shall all of us be Contemporaries, and make our appearance together.”
Writer's Reflection
I’m happy to see my lolo, lola and aunts during All Saint’s Day. I really love my visits with them. But unlike the past years where I see the smiles on their faces, hear their words of love and feel their comforting touch, what I can do now are to bring flowers, candles and prayers to their cemented blocks with their names engraved on it. As we celebrate the lives of the people we come to love, a lot of us can’t help but reflect on what we value in life and what it means to us as we see tombstones after tombstones.
A lot of people spend tirelessly their days and nights proving that they are right, trampling people and manipulating for the sake of popularity, power and wealth only to regret the way they have lived their miserable lives in their deathbeds.
In the final analysis, what matter most and what we can bring when the times comes we face our maker would be the love that we received and the love we have given away.
Reflection Exercise:
When you die, what would you like to be remembered for? Who do you want to cry in your funeral?
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