This weekend, i brought my son to a funeral visit.
The mother of one of my good friend passed away last week. When most of us would not have brought their kids, i did. In the daily life, the opportunities to teach my son valuable life’s lessons are rare. I felt that this was one of them and i should take it.
I want my son understand the process by which we say goodbye to our loved ones and not be affraid by it. In my views, funeral are a celebration of one’s life. Together, we said goodbye to two grand-mothers and to Romain, a young kid on our street. So this is Liam’s fourth funeral visit.
While driving to the funeral home, we had a discussion. We talked about what friendship means. I told him that it is important to share the joy with our friend. I also underlined the importance of being there for our friends through the hard times of life. I explained that our friends, when they are sad, do not need anything complicated from us, they just need our presence. Offering our friend an attentive ear and supportive shoulder is often enough.
As i am watching the sun rise on our neighborhood this morning, warmed by it’s gentle touch, i pounder on the meaning of life and the value of friendship.
True friendship develops by dancing in the sun but it really deepens by dancing in the rain.
Martin Pham Dinh 