at lunchtime today, Dad's cousin, Dominic died of stroke. At age 71, she's a spinster who lived a very frugal and almost Scrooge kind of life. Although we all know she has amassed a huge amount of personal wealth (from the pension she's receiving from American government and just the fact that she doesn't spend for anyone but herself), she was not in good terms with most of the people around her and her health was spiraling down. when we saw her for a family dinner last December, she just got out of the hospital from a week's confinement. I heard she's had grievances with the sister who lived right next door to her. She's also not in speaking terms with one of the nephews she financially aided when he was building his own house.
as i sat at her wake thinking about these, i wonder if there was any person who actually felt her loss. was there anyone at all who was grieving at her death? or was she a dead person to those around her even during the time she was alive?
it was a disturbing thought and one i wouldn't want to happen to me.
in several events, this theme has been recurring for the past months--life is about relationships, not about financial wealth.
what are you building your life on?
