Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 29oC, hot and sunny.
Yasmin has arrived, and I’m paying for her to exercise at one of the schools on the beach. However, she is not taking it seriously enough for my liking. After a stern talk, I clarified that I would only continue to pay if she took it seriously.
I study every day and want to do as much as possible. Unfortunately, there’s a problem with the TV, and I’m still waiting for a position from TIM. But I don’t care much for the TV. Even though I have cable, I find it boring, have lost the habit of watching the news, and never follow soap operas. I also prefer to watch films online, so it’s not a big deal if the TV remains broken.
Yesterday, I had to attend a wake at Sao Joao Batista cemetery for a pupil’s mother-in-law, Dona Cecilia, who had passed away at the age of 94. She was in good health all her life and only began having health problems in the last six months.
I have visited Sao Joao Batista cemetery several times, including two years ago when a friend’s wife died of cancer and was buried there, and when Paulo, Cibele’s brother who had Down syndrome, was buried there about 10 or 15 years ago.
During my last visit to the cemetery, I spent over an hour walking around, taking pictures of the various strange and beautiful graves and tombs. I found it interesting to see how families in the past would spend a fortune building a grave in the form of a sanctuary with sculptures and everything for a deceased loved one. It is as if they believed the tomb would guarantee a better afterlife for their loved ones.
I appreciated the craftsmanship and found it interesting to see the dates when the person had died.
There were enormous tombs that had been standing there for over 100 years, and probably, in most cases, nobody nowadays would know who that person who had died was. That day, walking around the cemetery and taking photos was very enjoyable, and besides being attractive, the cemetery was in excellent condition and quite beautiful.
My recent experience made me think about life and its purpose. It made me realise that every moment we get to live is a blessing. Death is inevitable; once it happens, there is no going back. Therefore, we must cherish every moment of life, whether good or bad, because each experience is an opportunity to learn and grow, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Thank you.
Thank you for reading and for your support. Please be sure to check out other posts on my blog and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
