Sobbing filled the room as the MC asked if anybody else had any last words that they would like to share. My uncle walked up to me and asked, “Kevin, would you like to go up and say a few words?” The whole time I was sitting there in my orange ceremonial robe (more about that in a bit.) I was holding it together and trying to look strong for the rest of my family because that’s what my grandmother always did. I rarely saw her cry and growing up I always imagined her as the Chuck Norris of our family (Yes, we had Lamunisms). I finally broke and joined in the intense sobbing. She was the matriarch of the family not because she ruled with an iron fist but because she was extremely caring. She was such a giver that we didn’t have much of a choice but to respect her. At that very moment, I knew I could never be mentally and emotionally strong as her.
My grandmother passed away last week on Wednesday. A death in the family is never an easy process but when it’s somebody who raised you as much as your mother, it’s a different story. I wish I could explain how great of person she was but to do her justice can’t be written in mere words. One day I’ll figure out a way to tell her story but pathetically this will have to suffice.
As part of the Cambodian funeral ceremony four boys would volunteer to “Souk Mon”. It’s basically where you become an honorary monk for the day to help pray for your family member on to the afterlife. Since it was my grandmother and I loved her very much, I volunteered. I knew that if it was up to her all her grand children would do it so I felt very fortunate to get the opportunity to do it. This also explains the orange robe in the first paragraph.
I’ll be the first to admit that I was not the best kid growing up. I was fat, egotistical, mischievous, a bully, and spoiled. With all these negative traits my grandmother saw straight through this and wouldn’t hesitate to put me in my place. Looking back I would be the worst human being in the world if it wasn’t for her presence. I still have a lot to work on but if it wasn’t for her I would be starting at square 1 instead of having something to work with.
We can all learn from the legacy she left behind. For this I not only envy her but I am inspired by her. I would like to leave a positive legacy just as she did and make her proud. I hope that nobody forgets how much she kept this family together and hope that we can individually strive to be better people.
As a dedication to her life and how much she has influenced me, I will be continuing to take on or start a few projects that I have always put on the backburner. I will be a little bit more busy but to live the most interesting life just as she did, these projects would be the most rewarding achievements. In all my projects and endeavors I will strive to give, laugh, and enjoy life as much as she did. That will be direction of each project and myself personally.
I wish everybody had the opportunity to meet her or hear her life story because she was one of the strongest and most giving person I ever had the opportunity to meet. I definitely have a lot of catching up to do as a person and one day I hope that I could live up to her standards.
The Active Bacon Nut 