Ancestry

 Afterlife

So today was the 50th death anniversary of my great grandmother. Obviously I didn't get a chance to meet her in real life, I was probably still in my previous life. Or maybe I did meet her once in my previous life or something haha. Anyway it's been a family tradition to do prayers during the death anniversary of our relatives. Ever since my great grandparents set up the altar table for our ancestors. And my grandpa has been doing it for my great grandparents too. Now it is my father's generation (AKA my aunts and uncle) and soon, it will by my generation's turn.

But to think that we've been doing this for 50 years, for my great grandmother's death anniversary, made me truly proud of our tradition. And like my father told me, till how long more can we uphold this tradition? I suppose my generation will still continue it, but will the generation after mine do it? It's a big question mark, because somehow as life gets more modern, tradition seems to be forgotten and left aside, because it is deemed very "troublesome" and just inconvenient. And thankfully I don't.

I suppose I'm one of the luckiest people on earth who actually still has a painting of my great great grandparents! Yes you see it right, great great! They are from China, and they died there too I suppose. Because my great grandparents were the first people in the family who came over to Indonesia back many many years ago. And then my grandfather was born.

And I'm always curious. I always want to know the kind of life that my great great grandparents had. If I calculate correctly, they should be living in the 1800s in China. And it should be still in the ruling period of the Qing dynasty! Wow does this mean they're imperial officers or something haha. And not just my great great grandparents, but my ancestors above that! Where were they? What were they doing? I'm always curious. If I can time travel, I will definitely go back and check out my ancestors.

It's always amazing and scary to think about time. About our ancestors, the people who in a long and unique way, made who we are today. And I always ask myself questions too, like what if my great grandparents decided not to come to Indonesia. Well I wouldn't be here, my dad wouldn't be here. So yes, time, in its mysteriously beautiful ways, shaped our lives by the events that happened throughout the course of our lives. And it's pretty beautiful, to think of all these to be honest.

Yup, so... Take time to think about your ancestors. It's quite amazing to think of all these.