by Nadia Ramoutar  MMM Communications Coordinator                Ireland                 11.09.2024

This summer I went to several funerals for the parents of my friends which was a surreal experience to have so many over a few months. At many of these beautiful services, there was a frequent reference to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Many of us know this reference well. “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…”.

What struck me in hearing this over and over was that one day in the not too distant future it would not be the funeral of my friends’ parents that I would be attending – but the funerals of friends. This is the way of life and I am aware that there was a time when I never really went to any funerals at all.

Amazingly, in 2024, the MMM Sisters have had only one funeral. It’s been an amazing time to see some Sisters get ill but to make almost miraculous recoveries. One of the MMM Sisters turned 103 years old this year. Such a wonderful celebration.

Last Saturday I was at a friend’s mother’s funeral. It was a memorable service honouring her long and beautiful life. Seeds for wild flowers were passed out at the end of the service as she loved gardening. Outside the church in Dublin, a large group of young people were gathered. I was told that the next funeral was for a man who was only 26 years of age. It was heartbreaking to see all the young men and women looking so fretful in the parking lot. I didn’t ask how he died. I said a prayer for him as I left and for all his family and friends. It made for a very cold morning in summer for many.

The truth is no one really knows how long they will get to live 26 years or 103 years? We just don’t know how long we have to be here, but life does seem to speed up as we age. We have a different appreciation for each morning and for each sunset when we realised that nothing is guaranteed. For the season we are in is a gift.

At times, I can get overwhelmed by what needs to be done or what didn’t get done correctly. This summer of funerals, I am reminded to celebrate the little things and to find joy in the ordinary moments of life. We are only here for such a short time, so let’s make it a beautiful one.

So what season are you in now? What season awaits you? Is the key to life accepting, celebrating and rejoicing in the season that we are in now?