A Sudden Passing

Seems like life's been a bit reflective lately. As in.. life's demanding us to be reflective.

Yesterday afternoon BIL's aunt, Mak Usu, passed away at the age of 55 due to complications resulting from chemotherapy. To those of you out there without this piece of knowledge.. yes, chemotherapy can bring about many complications. Truly I am no expert. But I know more about cancer and its treatments now than if compared to 5 years ago. Because I have cancer in my family. So I can't afford to live blissfully in oblivion anymore.

A breast cancer patient we know recently spent a couple of weeks in HKL's ICU because of blood sepsis, a complication which emerged with her chemotherapy treatment. She is now okay, Alhamdulillah. Mak Usu on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. She had her chemo earlier this week and was discharged on Friday morning (if I heard correctly). Saturday morning saw her excitedly making breakfast for her family, as she so often did on weekends when all her kids were home. After breakfast she told her family that she felt fine, so they should go on with whatever they needed to do for the day. So her husband (Pak Usu) followed their youngest daughter to oversee repairworks at her apartment. During which she then called Pak Usu to say that she was having difficulties breathing. They all rushed home, only to find her laying on the bed. She had passed on.

May she be at peace with Allah Subhanahuwata'ala.

She was a good person. I was never very close to her, but she had kids who were in Melbourne when we lived in Melbourne. She was one of those people that you just can't ignore because she tried so hard to care for you. Whenever she was in Melbourne, she'd invite us over to her kids' house for a meal. She'd come over our apartment too. Like all young people we kids were content in our own little worlds. She wouldn't allow that. She was big on family and gatherings. Every Raya since we came back from Melbourne, she'd insist on having a big gathering at her house. We got to know her and her family pretty well. She was caring, with huge smiles and hugs for us whenever she saw us. She always had some sort of advise up her sleeves. Her nephews and nieces would get irritated at times. But now that she's gone, we can see how she's touched so many people's lives.

Not a dry eye in the house when we went to ziarah her jenazah yesterday. All the nephews and nieces who'd complain about how kecoh she was, mourned openly. A nephew who was always so manly and composed went up to her jenazah and would not let go of her hand until steered away. Her pregnant daughter (due in a couple of weeks) could not get out of bed due to shock and grief. H and I had to leave early to attend a planned gathering, but the scene could not escape me.

Night fell and sister called me to say that Mak Usu would be buried Sunday morning. Cousins, friends, nephews and nieces from afar travelled back to pay their final ziarah and to give support to her family.

Mak Usu won't be hearing this, but I need to say this out.

Thank you, dear Mak Usu, for forcing us to feel a part of the family when we were in Melbourne.
Thank you for all the great meals we had under your roof.
Thank you for touching so many lives in your memorable way.
And thank you God for giving us the opportunity to witness her gregarious spirit.

One final thing.

Prior to her passing, we had planned to visit her once she was healthier and settled once more at home. The opportunity never came.

If you know anyone who is ill, don't wait. See them today.