This morning, I attended the funeral of a secondary school classmate, Frankie Yong. We had finished Form 5 together in 1969. He worked for a short while after leaving school, but then fell into a long struggle with depression and other mental health challenges from which he never fully recovered. By the early 1970s, he had stopped working altogether, surviving through the care and support of his family.
Over the years, Frankie also developed high blood pressure and diabetes, and remained on medication for his mental condition. Now that he has passed away, I imagine his family - who had cared for him for decades - can finally lay down a heavy burden, even as they mourn his loss.
It was a Christian funeral. According to an old schoolmate I met there, Frankie had come to know the Lord not long ago - a quiet but profound grace in his final chapter.
As I left, I found myself pondering: What is the purpose of a life like this?
Perhaps one answer is this - that his life gave others the opportunity to offer kindness, patience, and care. And in doing these small acts for him, they were, in a sense, doing them for Christ Himself.
An old class photo of Form 5 in 1969. Frankie is 6th from right at second row. I am standing at his right.
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