My family and I were invited to a memorial service by AsPaC (Assisi Palliative Care) in Petaling Jaya recently for those whom they had cared for in the last 12 months and who had passed on. It was to celebrate the lives lived by our loved ones. AsPaC had cared for my mother for about four months before she passed away on Dec 21.
The service was one of multi-faith, where prayers were said by representatives of the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Christian faiths. What struck me was that there was a common sharing of grief and memories of our loved ones which knew no barriers. We had all suffered the same pain, helplessness and frustration of caring for a loved one. But on this day, all of us came together and lit candles for our loved ones who had passed on, put stalks of flowers against the framed photographs we were told to bring, and laid flowers in a big dish of water in the middle of a long table. Then video clips of the deceased were shown on the screen. It was a ceremony to say goodbye and to help us to let go, to help us move on with our lives.
