Justin’s mom Toni passed on today. Please keep the family in your prayer.

I am sure Olaina will update the blog as soon as they all can get their heads around it.

People say death seems to come in three. For us, it’s more like four. First, Shane’s uncle passed away almost 2 months ago. A week or so after that, Nhien’s aunt. Then about the same time Toni went to the hospital, Erik’s relative passed away. And now we wrapped the sweep with Toni.

Life does come and go in seasons. I mean, at some point, your friends were all getting married. Then later, they all seem to be having kids. And then folks you know start to get ill and died.

This is when I turn to the teach of Buddha about the life-death cycle. We are born. We age. We get sick. We die. It’s the only way life goes. And all you can do is the best you can.

I read this article a while back in the Bangkok Post about the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh who visited Thailand and gave a sermon of sort. His message speaks to me loud and clear.

Life is only a moment. All you have is this moment.

…He simply says that you too can become an enlightened person if you focus your mind on the present and become mindful or conscious of your daily activities.To him, nirvana is not something that lies in the future or in the past but something you can experience right now, with every breath you take…

…we can live a normal life by simply being aware of our activities every single moment. We can let our conscious mind, instead of instinct, guide us. Then we will have compassion towards our fellow human beings. Then we can love peace, accept differences and have more understanding of others.

What are you going to do with your moment? Do you live it well? Do you live it for loved ones who have gone before you, honoring the memories of their great lives?

I ask that question everyday especially with my mom in the state she is in. When time comes, I only hope I can live my life in her honor, continuing her legacy of being generous, kind, and a wonderful friend.