Movie & eulogy for a classmate

I had an eventful week, thinking that I could relax after my accounting exam, right after my exam ended, I went all the way to a secondary school friend's house & brought him to the cinema. He risked his life protecting his parents from robbers (armed with knives & guns) was being cut over & over again, left his arm dangling to the hospital & had a 5-hr surgery. After which he is just sitting at home resting n doing nothing, waiting for friends to bring him out to chill.

I listened to the long story of real bravery & not even a word of complain from him, watched movie, n after that, very "bro"-ly, patted each other's shoulder & said bye. He felt appreciated, I was inspired. There is nothing spoken in his Facebook wall, silent are the real men living in our days.

2 days later, it's my primary school friend's memorial service. I don't know what was I doing the night before, thinking & thinking, nothing much written but it took hours until I slept late at night. And then the following afternoon, I gave the most difficult 5-min speech in my life - the eulogy for a classmate who committed suicide.

When I was preparing for exams, all I cared was about the exam. After it was over, life struck back in. And it dawned on me that I need the right perspective from God in order to overcome this unpredictable life. Sure, there is the problem of pain & the problem of pleasure. But there is hope, the biggest, surest, only hope. We can see it in the rain, in loud crashes, silent 'fade aways', brightest day & darkest night.

Jesus.

~


No one knew the torment,
that you were going through;
We only kept on seeing 
What we really wanted to.

We saw the outward smile, 
but not your inner pain;
We never really dreamt, 
That you would never smile again.

Forgive us if we failed to see, 
What we could do to aid;
Or if we failed to comprehend, 
How much you were afraid.

We pray your mental anguish, 
Will now forever cease;
And that your deep anxieties,
Will be replaced by peace.

We know your pain invaded,
Every single thought you had;
It made you cry internally,
And deeply, deeply sad.

But we in turn remember,
The good times, not the bad;
We remember when you smiled at us,
And not when you were sad.

So when we think about your life,
We won't dwell upon its close;
We'll remember all the good times,
And forget about life's blows.

We'll remember all the happiness,
The joy and not the tears;
The assurance and the confidence,
And not irrational fears. 

Our lives have all been better,
Because you have been there;
So now we leave your memory,
In God's all-loving care.

(c) 2008 Dick Underwood