yesterday, while talking to mum, she asked if i could bring her to take her passport photos. was actually surprised that she asked and i asked why the sudden desire to do so. she said it was my brother's idea. he wanted her to do cos it is a `good practise' to take photos yearly so as to see how we age. and given that the photo studio in marine parade (where we used to live) have better services, he had asked if i could take her there as i drive. straight away i knew my brother's intentions.
of cos, my mum didn't seemed to understand what he meant. she insisted she saw no point doing it since she's already so old. i told her i see the value in documenting our faces as we age and personally, i have been doing it since i was a boy and can really appreciate the process. and that was where i added, that apart from just documenting our aging faces, having photos taken regularly would come in handy when and if we die. my mum was fast. she immediately understood why my brother wanted her to have her photos taken. and that was when she smiled and nodded her head in agreement.
well, many are superstitious and refrain from talking about death especially to old people. instead, they choose to talk about it obliquely or hint at the subject at most. they fear that talking about it would attract death itself. for me, i am not superstitious. i strongly believe we must talk about it. it will help us be better prepared for it and accept it when it comes around. and i have often spoke about it with my parents. so much so that i am able to ask if they are afraid of death, whether they feel stressed by it, and so on. such conversations also allow me to lead them to tell me how they want their post-life rites to be carried out. i am sure that the knowledge that their post-life arrangements would be done according to their wishes go a long long way in giving them peace of mind.
anyway, the suggestion to take photos came just at the right time. this was becos i had earlier told my mum i would bring her to the hairdresser sometime next fortnight. thus, it fits in very nicely to have her photo taken after she had done up her hair.
:-)
of cos, my mum didn't seemed to understand what he meant. she insisted she saw no point doing it since she's already so old. i told her i see the value in documenting our faces as we age and personally, i have been doing it since i was a boy and can really appreciate the process. and that was where i added, that apart from just documenting our aging faces, having photos taken regularly would come in handy when and if we die. my mum was fast. she immediately understood why my brother wanted her to have her photos taken. and that was when she smiled and nodded her head in agreement.
well, many are superstitious and refrain from talking about death especially to old people. instead, they choose to talk about it obliquely or hint at the subject at most. they fear that talking about it would attract death itself. for me, i am not superstitious. i strongly believe we must talk about it. it will help us be better prepared for it and accept it when it comes around. and i have often spoke about it with my parents. so much so that i am able to ask if they are afraid of death, whether they feel stressed by it, and so on. such conversations also allow me to lead them to tell me how they want their post-life rites to be carried out. i am sure that the knowledge that their post-life arrangements would be done according to their wishes go a long long way in giving them peace of mind.
anyway, the suggestion to take photos came just at the right time. this was becos i had earlier told my mum i would bring her to the hairdresser sometime next fortnight. thus, it fits in very nicely to have her photo taken after she had done up her hair.
:-)
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