The Shirt He Never Wore

Today marks exactly 2 months since dad rested. I had never  for a second imagined that one day I would wake up with a father on earth and go to bed, the same day, with the father in heaven. Like how can that happen? Anyway c'est  la vie.

Whenever I visited a new place, I loved to get either a shirt or pairs of shoes for dad. On 12th July, my birthday, I  visited a textile factory and I saw this beautiful "uhuru" shirt which I thought would look so good on dad. As was the norm, I got one for him.  I had intentions to travel home on 26th August so I thought,  maybe I should deliver it personally.  Then, on 25th August Boom! I get the shocking news that dad is gone. Gone gone,  never  to return. 

My siblings were gracious enough to allow for dad to be buried in that shirt. However, in the days leading to the burial, as I stared at the shirt, I wished dad had gotten to wear that shirt  because in heaven they don't wear shirts. Don't ask me what they wear. It pained me so much (it still does) that I delayed to deliver the shirt to him before his resting. I still imagine how good he would have looked in that pattern.

The Bible records in Psalm 90:12, David asks God  "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". In the recent days as I have meditated on this verse, I have found myself  adding, " Lord teach me to number my days, and those of my loved ones, because I do not know how much time any of us have".

Truth is, earth is not our home we are just passers-by,  or sojourners  as some like to say it. Some will sojourn for longer than others. Death is a cruel monster who knows no courtesy. Tomorrow is not promised for you or any of your loved ones. The least  you  can do is to live well with people or as the famous quote says' Do the good you can for all the people you can, as long as you can.

One thing I find most comforting as I mourn dad, is he lived his life to the full. He touched every life he could, and to him it mattered not the age, gender or societal status.  It gave him so much fulfilment to see others happy and to help wherever and whenever he could. 

Last weekend as I attended another burial, the same message was preached. Sometimes we buy flowers, shirts and drive the dead in big expensive cars, gifts, and accolades  they never got to enjoy while they lived, just to soothe the conscience. The preacher emphasized the need to "Buy flowers, and gifts for the living, tell all the nice things to the living instead of writing them in the eulogy"

I didn't mean to make you sad, I just thought you could live your best life now and that today sounds like a good day to express your appreciation to your family and friends. We are on borrowed time. Tomorrow may be too late, just maybe.