Today was your funeral and burial and you can now rest in peace. Before the funeral started, I wrote a little something dedicated to you. I am not that good at public speaking... But I hope you liked it.
Cecilia was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer back in November 2013 (and no, she has never smoked a cigarette in her life). She put up a good fight and never gave up even at the very end. She was always brave, optimistic and determined for the last 4 years to beat cancer. She tried every type of treatment that was available and never complained of any of the side effects.
Cecilia didn't lose her fight to cancer. To say that she lost to cancer would be an insult to all her efforts. She fought cancer and she won in so many ways. She won by living another 4 years when the doctor only gave her 6 months. She won by having the health and quality of life to travel around the world with her family. She won by having the fortune to welcome her two grandchildren into the world. She won by being surrounded by her loved ones as she took her last breath in the comfort of her own home.
We are the "losers". We lost a wife, a mother, a daughter, a grandmother, a sister, a cousin, an aunt, and a friend. We lost the opportunity to hear her laugh again, the opportunity to see her beautiful smile again, and the opportunity to hold her hand again. We are the unlucky ones.
We don’t want to remember how she died. We want to remember how she lived. How she was always so positive and inspiring. How she loved arts and crafts. How she was amazing at math. How she hated history lessons. How she always fell asleep while watching Star Wars. How she loved being in control of life. That’s why she was always the one in the driver’s seat wherever we went and also the one who took care of all the finances at home. She was a loving wife, a caring mother, a thoughtful daughter and a wonderful grandmother. She was the glue to this family and she will be terribly missed.
Heaven gained a special angel the day Cecilia left this world. But it will be all right, because Cecilia will live on forever in our hearts and memories.
Remember Mrs. Trotic? She was the secretary at our elementary school. She's still part of Sacred Heart Parish and she was the one who did the readings at your Funeral Mass today.
Mrs Graham (grade 3) and Mrs. Kirkham (grade 5) we're also there. I know you have very good memory and you would have been really happy to see them there.
Your body is now laid to rest near Gong Gong. Hope you two are going out for dim sum maybe even with 6 Yee Gong too?
Missing you lots...
Love, Juli