RIP APPAPPA ❤
Thank you for all the memories you have given us. We are so blessed to have had you be a crucial part of our childhood. You’ve lived with us for so many years and I’m so grateful to have shared all that time with you. You were the one who walked with us to school and walked us home everyday. You were the gutsy grandpa who came with us on rollercoaster rides. You meant everything to Athavan. You never ever left his side. You guys were almost like conjoined twins. Athavan never knew what it was like to be alone because you were just ALWAYS by his side. Til this day your memory was untouchable. We were lucky enough to have seen you just last month and you were asking us about families whom we knew a decade back that we aren’t even in touch with now. So lucky to have been one of your grandkids. You’ve lived a good 90s years & your journey has come to an end. You can now be reunited with appamma and the both of you can shower us with your blessings and continue to guide us through life ❤
WE WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE MEMORIES
TIL WE MEET AGAIN ❤
Everything has just been all the more overwhelming because now I’m not only mourning the passing away of my grandpa but REMOURNING the passing away of my grandma. I was blessed enough to have been brought up with them. They were like our second set of parents. I think I spent more quality time with my grandparents than my parents and honestly I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Grandparents are a mixture of a parent, teacher and a bestfriend. I’m honestly so grateful to have had the opportunity to have been attached to them. However, that’s also the reason why I’m really struggling to digest that they are no longer here on this earth in physical form. I can’t hug them. I can’t talk to them. I can’t learn from them. I can’t hear their stories and share with them the things happening in my life no more…
There’s a quote I came across that really struck me.
“Cause you never think that the last time is the last time. You think there will be more. You think you have forever, but you don’t.”
Sometimes I wish I could go back in life, not to change things, but to experience a couple of things twice. Like the years I had with my grandparents. Little did I know that when I was young walking to and from school with my appappa or bumping into my appamma at the shops after school where she would buy me random treats at the bakery or just sitting with my grandparents talking about school or listening to their old stories about Sri Lanka would be some of the most precious days of my life. I really took those days for granted. I don’t know about other countries but here in Sydney ESPECIALLY in the brown community, from the age of 8 the stress of education starts. It starts from prepping for the OC, then suddenly prepping for selective at the age of 10. Then you’re suddenly in highschool and the pressure and stress goes on. Care free days of just being a kid were always numbered. More than spending time with family it’s all about school then rushing off to this tution THAT tution then rushing off to dance classes, singing classes, instrument classes, tamil school and the list goes on. I just wish I had more of an opportunity to live in the moment and just get lost in time spending it with my grandparents and family. There was this article written by a nurse who deals with people in their dying days. She compiled a list of regrets these individual had expressed to her when in their final moments. Funnily enough, none of their thoughts were about what university they attended, what degree they did, what job they had, what salary they earned, how big their house was, what branded items they possessed etc. because at the end of the day, none of that shit matters. It was regrets.
•I wish I spent more time with my loved ones.
•I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
•I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
•I wish I’d been the bigger person and resolved my conflicts.
•I wish I stayed in touch.
•I wish I realised that happiness is a choice
•I wish I didn’t take life for granted.
It all comes down to people, our relationships with others and most importantly with ourselves. Mourning the farewell of my grandpa from this earth this quote strikes every chord in my body. I urge you guys to live every day like your last and DRENCH your loved ones with your love. As cliché as it sounds you never know what’ll happen tomorrow. Spend time with your grandparents, parents, siblings & your mates. It might be awkward to say I love you to them. I know it’s awkward as heck for me to say ily to my parents. But there are other ways of expressing your love & gratitude. Spend time with them, talk to them, eat with them, go for walks, do activities. make them laugh just CREATE memories. LIVE in the moment and don’t take any moment for granted because you NEVER know when anyone’s last breath is including yours.
From whichever corner of the world you’re reading this, first and foremost I want to say thank you. I genuinely hope you’re surrounded by happy go people & positive vibes.
Lots of love ❤
Your Social Butterfly 😉