What is beyond?

In just 3 days I have already attended 2 wakes. In each time, I am almost always tempted to tell the relatives the cliche "it's ok, he/she is in a better place now" but I know it won't offer (yet) any solace to them because the need to grieve is present and unavoidable.

Deaths always affect me. Who won't be? In my mortal mind, it is the finality, the end, the consummation of life. When I was younger, I've always thought of death as really the end, then darkness follows. After learning a few things from school, the church and the community, I began to believe that death is just a phase someone need to pass through in order to reach the other side. But I know I have to go to a step higher in understanding and reasoning that death is just a beginning. Papa told me that in their community, when someone dies, they say "Congratulations!" instead of "Condolence" to the family of the dead. I might get a knock on the head if I say that but when you think about it deeply, death is really just the beginning of eternal life.

For the meantime, I should make it a point to work as if it is my first day on earth, learn as if I were to live forever, and live as if it is my last day.

Sounds like a tall order but I will try.