Andrew's Funeral

Yesterday, an plane belonging to Air New Zealand crashed in the Mediterranean near Perpignan. A chill shuddered my spine and all New Zealanders. You see, it is exactly the anniversary of the Mount Erebus disaster.

On 28 November 1979 the 14th flight crashed into Mount Erebus, killing all 237 passengers and 20 crewmembers aboard. We, the Kiwis were in shock.

Yesterday's news tugged my heart string. It was a week ago when I marked in silence, the anniverary of my baby Andrew's passing. I once wrote a peom.

Losing a baby is like the culmination of nine months of planning a long holiday.

It was going to be a joyious time of watching the celebrities at the Cannes festival.
Instead without notice, the plane crashes.
You are alone on a Meditteranean island.
You are alone holding your dead child.
For the rest of your life, your life is like a puzzle.
One piece is missing, life will never ne the same again.
If you are lucky, you will have friends to hold your hands.

My Andrew: 29 September - 22 November 1989.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campomelicfamilies/

EULOGY FOR A DEPARTED FRIEND

I don't consider myself old. I have just past half a century. I shudder because three of my classmates have died.

This was an eulogy I wrote for a guy friend. I was in Singapore when he died in Sibu suddenly, the town I grew up in. I flew to Sibu to pay my respects to his wife.

This eulogy is also on another site.


17 May 2001

I shuddered at the sad news of Siau Chung.
People don't die at 47 or 48...
I remember him as one of the Sylvester boys.
I remember him, sitting behind me at Lower 6, his joke Slaughtering chicken without the need of a Cattle knife, cos he got a 1 in Form 5 history.
I remember bidding him farewell and good luck when he got a scholarship to study overseas.
I remember feeling really sad because we just started being very good friends.
I remember joking at his Botak aka bald head during the Reunion.
I remember joking at both of us having the youngest children among us.
And now, he is gone.
Yet, death where art thy Sting?
I hope our early years at Methodist School would have given us a strong foundation of our Faith. So that at the moment when Death knocks at our door, we can smile and know that we are returning to our Father in heaven.