well, 'a' comes before 'e' in the alphabet, so let's start with ANZAC day first.
'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.'
both the parents and i are extremely lucky never to have been touched by war. my grandmas were born around world war two, but it's not sth i've ever spoken with them about.
i remember back in high school, we'd have an ANZAC day parade, where some trumpeter would blow out the ... whatever that song's called, the one that goes CGCG ... CGCG ... CGCGCECCCC, etc. yeah, i tried the trumpet for two years back in 1998 and 1999, was bloody useless @ it. gave it to ching ying when he visited brisbane in 2004, dunno what he's done with it. :p
both mine and the parent's generation have never been touched by war, thankfully. my australian godfather was in the vietnam war, and suffers from tinnitus. he tells me that it comes very much in handy when his wife is yelling @ him to do sth. :P
i'm just curious, actually ... there wouldn't be any remaining world war one veterans still alive today, would there? considering the war started in 1904 ... that's 107 years ago, and the soldiers were prolly all in their late teens and early twenties ... yeah, they've all prolly headed into the next life by now.
but yeah, every year, it's good to pause and reflect upon what those soldiers gave up for us. i guess that's why there's still ANZAC parades every year.
as for easter monday ... well, apart from getting an awesome four day long weekend (easter friday), i guess it's a celebration for us christians coz it's when jesus christ arose from the dead. i've always wondered what that was like for him ... coming back into life after three days of being dead. was it like simply waking up from a long sleep, or did jesus actually have experiences in the afterlife while waiting for god to bring him back to life? why did god wait three days, anyway? wouldn't it have been more shocking, after the guards proved jesus had really died, for him to have suddenly popped back up and said, 'hello, guys! miss me?" :P
but i guess the main point of all that is that we therefore have a hope and a future. (isn't that a bible verse somewhere? "plans to give you a hope and a future ...?") by conquering death, jesus made it possible for us to be reunited with him after our mortal bodies call it a day. that's an incredible relief, knowing that you're still somewhere after you kark it. :P
one thing i'm clinging to very hard personally ... my most beloved grandmother passed away from lung cancer before i had the chance to fly back to hong kong, hold her close and tell her how much i love her. the night (well, morning, actually, about 4am) she passed away, dad stayed with me awhile in bed while mother was talking to the nurse looking after grandma. i remember that i had been very upset, and dad had PINKY-PROMISED me that i would see grandma again, one day up in heaven. in that case, after my body calls it a day and i've died, if god wants to boot me to hell for being a miserable little turd :P, i'm gonna raise my hand and say, "wait! before you do that, you haveta reunite me with grandma first!"
actually, doesn't it say that there's no tears/any unhappiness up in heaven? if that's the case, how exactly will grandma be happy if i run up to her, embrace her, then say, "sorry, grandma, gotta go. there's a place down in hell with my name reserved for it."?
but hey, that's yet another easter monday and another ANZAC day passing us by.
next post here ... labour day? isn't that sometime soon? anyways, until then!
cheers,
em. ^^
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