Unexpected

Today's article is dedicated to my mom's cousin. I will understand if you wouldn't read the entire article.

Last night after we had dinner, I opened my Instagram because I got some messages. A friend sent me a Facebook link and when I clicked it, it directed me to Facebook however the file was not found. So my Facebook refreshed my News Feed and then I saw a post from my mom's cousin. I read it over and over again because I couldn't understand it.

The post stated the untimely passing of my aunt. I saw the name even the names of her children that she was survived by her 3 children. But because it was my aunt's account and her real name was on the post with her nickname on quotation marks, I couldn't believe that it was her who died. I don't know her real name by the way. Plus she uses her maiden name ever since I was a kid but I know her children's surname. So I asked my mom if it was our aunt's real name. She also didn't know her real name as we all have known her by her nickname.

I screenshot the post and when I was going to send it our group chat with my aunt's from my mother side, my godmother had already messaged that their cousin died. I went back to Facebook to check on the comments to see the cause of death but I failed. When I scrolled down, the second post on my News Feed was from her son. They had the same post so I instantly realized that the post on my aunt's Facebook account was generic with her children. I saw that my second cousin replied to some of the comments on his post so I messaged him right away as to the cause of her mom's death and of course I told him my deepest condolences.

After few minutes he thanked me and told me that it was cancer. I did have some follow up questions and he always replied to my messages after few minutes. It turns out that my aunt had breast cancer and they found out about it last 2018 and it was already in stage 4. He told me that his mom hid it from them. Probably my aunt have already felt a lump but never had herself checked and it was only in 2018 when they all found out about it. It was 2018 when my mom and her sisters saw her. My aunts from Canada and Los Angeles went home that year so that they could all have a reunion with their neighbors from their hometown and then they also met up with their cousin, my late aunt. I know she was the only cousin that they knew when they were growing up. Though my late aunt is younger from my mom and even with my mom's youngest sister. My late aunt's dad and my grandmother are the ones who were related. From what I have heard from my mom, their cousin was like a doll when she was still a little girl. They would only get to see her for a short time during gatherings because my late aunt's mom would always want to go home right away even if my grandmother and her brother haven't had the time to catch up yet. But the good thing was my mom and her sisters were still able to keep a good relationship even if my late aunt's parents died. Though they just doesn't meet regularly but whenever you would invite my aunt, she would be there.

I cannot remember the last time I saw my aunt because I was not with my mom and her sisters when they met her 3 years ago. There was a conflict in our schedule but I was able to messaged her 2 years ago. Actually she messaged me first. She asked me how we were and if we were ok and I told her that we were all doing fine. And then she asked if my mom was sick because she used to see her in the pictures that I have uploaded on Facebook wearing a bandana or a turban. That time my mom just got hospitalized because of a wound infection to which she had been recovering for months because her wound was still open when she was discharged. I have already talked about it in my past articles, my mom's hospitalization. Even if my mom's foot had some dressing, we were still careful to not let it get infected. Plus she finds it a little hard to move around so she only stayed at home for months and only went out during check ups and change of dressing. It was that big that I did not want to clean her wound though I can actually but it was better if the doctors would do it. It was only after 3 months when I stepped in to clean her wound because it isn't at risk in getting infected anymore.

That being said, my mom wasn't able to go to the salon to have her hair cut. I told her not to dye her hair anymore and to let it grow white so she would always wear a bandana. My late aunt was worried that maybe my mom was sick so she asked me why she was wearing a bandana and that I can tell her anything. I told her the reason behind the bandana and she was relieved that my mom was ok. I told it to my mom, my brother and my mom's sisters. They were touched when they found out about it.

Late last year my mom wore her turban again during my godson and my sister-in-law's birthday and I uploaded photos of those events on Facebook. My brother and one of my mom's sister who was abroad said that I might get a message from my aunt regarding my mom again. Little did we know that it was actually my aunt who was sick. She worried for somebody else but she didn't worry about herself. She didn't even mention to me that she was diagnosed with cancer.

After finding out about my aunt's untimely passing, my mom and I got goosebumps that lasted for a minute or two. We really cannot believe it. After their reunion 3 years ago, they said that they will repeat it again when my mom's sisters will visit the Philippines again. But then we all know the reason why they can't go here yet.

With my aunt's passing, it just really proves that we have to enjoy life and spend it with our loved ones. We have to start expressing our love for them and stop stressing over the things that is out of our hands. I don't know yet what will happen to my second cousins. I know one of them is working abroad. I also don't know when their father left them or if they still have communication with him. I don't know much about their family matters but I hope that my cousins will be strong during these tough times. All I know is that my aunt is now with our Creator and that she will be missed by her family and loved ones.

Do you know someone that passed away during this pandemic and you can't even go to their wake? I hope that we can get to light a candle for them and say a short prayer. May all their souls rest in peace.

P.S. my lead image was taken years ago when there was a power interruption in our area. I posted this on my Lyka account.