we remember

Funerals are like reunions and so is the day of the dead.

When I was young, I look forward going to the cemetery during all saints and all souls day. I remember gathering melted candles and forming it into a ball of wax. I remember creating St. Elmo's fire and running around the cemetery lawn.  I remember staying late until around dawn, sharing scary stories. I remember relatives bringing food to share for dinner and uncles sneaking liquors.

It was during those days that our family remembers those who went ahead of us, celebrating at our mini mausoleum in Mandaue, with a feel of a festive reunion.

But that has not been the case for the last five years.

The Mandaue mausoleum, where my grandparents are buried, now looks abandoned. In a year's span, the place gets cleaned only once, oftentimes visited only once.

Relatives are now far away, most are out of the country and the ones left are often too busy to initiate a simple gathering as what had been during the old days.

But that doesn't bother me. As long as everyone remembers. As long as when it's time for death anniversaries, birthdays and whatnots, the mausoleum will be the place where we gather and celebrate. As long as every november - everyone will remember to pay tribute. 

Photobucket
Zai Angelo, visits the Mandaue Mausoleum

Because this year, as my wife, my son and I went to visit, it was as if no one had went to visit before we did.

final dose:
If I had It my way, I will have to re-design the Mandaue mausoleum, just as I had designed the proposed lawn memorial for my wife's family.

Photobucket  Photobucket
my two design options for a proposed memorial

 

posted by A.Cortes on 3:27 AM under , ,

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