Tersesa Hsu, an 113 year old social worker from Singapore passed away. All her life, she contributed to the welfare and the care of the old aged who are stick and ill health. She continued to support the old and needy even after her 110th birthday. For someone like her, who spent her entire life devoted to such duties, one would wonder how's her family looks like, how is she going to be looked after. One would have hoped that given her kindness, she should have a good family or at least people will be pleased for her if this was the case. However, she instructed that no claim is to be made on her ashes and that no ritual or ceremony to be held for her.
Reading about her choice for a low key funeral made me wonder what actually went through her mind at those last few moments. What was she thinking? If I may try and interpret her style of living then I would get some ideas. A report claimed that she drank juice daily since 1947 and keeping a good habit of daily mediation and keeping a peaceful mind. Amazingly she learnt yoga at the age of 69. How extraordinary was that? I am thinking the fact she can even started to do yoga at 69 year old, not only is a sign of determination, but also about a positive attitude, i.e., taking thing one at a time until it is completed, which involved lots of patience, so it is not hard to understand how meditation had trained her. Her caring for the old aged showed her compassion, but also that she could put herself in others' shoes and care for them the way they desired.
Some people like to claim that life is a dream, as in, all of us will die one day and hence no need for us to go after fame, money and power. I began to wonder before she closed her eyes and passed away, has Teresa thought about her "lose", perhaps she has got nothing much for her to feel any lose. Secondly as all sufferers of old aged would, she would have battled with pains from organs failures. The best way to deal with pains is to let it be painful and not fight it. Feel the pain as it would pass, though a bit differently compared to when one was alive and healthy, but it would pass, that was what I thought Teresa might have in mind.
Teresa was spiritual and she showed great focus and devotion regardless of her age. Yet life is not about how long one lives, but how good it's been. But if life's been good (as in you find meaning in what you do and love it, like what Teresa has found when devoting to doing social work), the more it should be longer and the longer the better. Still, nothing is forever, one day it will end and we will all face that. If that day arrived, then it is not about what you cannot bring with you, it is, however, about what you left behind to other people. Teresa has left behind an inspiration to many and also to me.
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