A couple of weeks ago I attended a funeral, my friend’s mother passed away after bravely battling cancer. Without giving it thought, I asked off for that day to attend her funeral.

It was the first time I attended a similar funeral since my mom passed away and I didn’t know how I would feel that day but I knew I would be there for my friend. As soon as I parked, I felt the anxiety building up in my chest. Eventually after a good 10 minutes of thinking about leaving, I finally calmed down and found the courage to go in. And I am so glad I did!

I’ve been to a couple of funerals but this one was different. As soon as I entered the building, music filled the air and the atmosphere was filled with so much joy than sadness. Turns out this wasn’t just a funeral, it was a celebration of life. I’ve never been to a celebration before. Everyone was singing, dancing, and preaching about Seyi’s mother. Who from all of the speeches given, I learned was an amazing women who lived a life filled with so much love, happiness, success, and dedication to her family and church.

So many kind words were spoken about her mother, which reminded me of my mom’s funeral. After the celebration I didn’t feel sad, instead I felt happiness and reassurance about death but also about life.

Ironically the week after the celebration was the third anniversary of my mom’s passing. And like every year since, the weeks leading up to this week has always send me into a deep state of depression.

But this year, it was different because of the celebration of life, it left me with a new perspective.

February 9th, has always been a hard day for me filled with heartache. But this year, I didn’t spend the day alone or sad all day. Instead, I had the opportunity to spend it with people I care about, taking pictures and just living in the moment.

Celebration of life shouldn’t just be saved for our loved ones when they pass away. Each day we go through different obstacles in our life that we overcome and that itself is a celebration. So celebrate today and every single day with your loved ones while you still have a chance!

Love Always,

Lidia

P.S. Thank you Seyi, for allowing me to share about your mom’s celebration of life <3