Remembering the Past Generations

Serene's family took time off in the holidays to visit the graves of her grandparents and her great-grandfather at the cemetery of BCCM KK in Likas.

Nathan and Grace spent a moment at the grave of my grandfather, their great-great-grandfather. Both have nil feeling for their great-great-grandfather who passed away almost 54 years ago, long before their mother's birth. The grandchildren also stopped by at my parents' graves. Even though Nathan did have an encounter with my mother, his great-grandmother in November 2011, he too has no recollection of that encounter.  This is understandable because he was barely one year old then.

After the visit, we spent a bit of time talking about burial. This age-old tradition of burial in cemetery is slowly being taken over by cremation - a trend becoming more common and "acceptable" soon after the Covid-19 pandemic. Burials in church-operated or clan-operated cemeteries are also becoming less popular. Many opt to bury the deceased in company-operated cemeteries such as Nivana Memorial Park or Fook Lu Siew Columbarium. The continuous proper maintenance and upkeep of these cemeteries and columbarium is the major drawing factor. This is understandable because many of the younger generations of the families who originally came from China are moving away or emigrating to other countries. 

The method of disposing the remains by cremation followed by the scattering of the ashes in ocean or forest or iconic sites is also catching up. After all, it is said that a deceased would be "forgotten" 50 years after his/her passing. Who by then would drop by to pay respect at his/her grave!

The subject on scattering of ashes led us to the movie, "Bridges of Madison County", a 1995 movie based on the bestselling novel of the same name. The story ended with Francesca's children scattering the mom's ashes at Roseman Bridge, in compliance with their mom's wish! This particular act in this story somehow "romanticizes" the scattering of ashes of a deceased!

Nathan & Grace at their great-great-grandfather's grave.

Nathan & Grace at their great-grandparents' graves.