Edit: Thank you all for all of your kind comments, well wishes and prayers!
It’s been a rough couple of days. A lot of work (tradeshow), meeting with my accountant. This time of the year wears me down. However, far worse and very sad was the passing of a friend. I am having a hard time keeping up.
One of my brother’s very best friends (and my friend as well) passed away this week suddenly from an aneurysm. His viewing was this evening. Howie was a Buddhist so it was a different sort of ceremony from others I have been to. Although, I didn’t understand exactly what was taking place, it was very beautiful and definitely a celebration of Howies life.
We were given a blessing when we arrived ~ a small envelope with Chinese writing on it. The young man who gave it to us, thanked us for coming and gave us each the blessing. My brother opened his as soon as we started our drive home. The envelope contained a candy and a coin. I wondered out loud if we should save them or eat/spend them, thinking maybe it would be wrong to eat/spend them or if we were meant to … hmmm! I want to save mine, to remember Howie, but my brother ate his candy and is going to spend his coin on something Howie would have liked. Does anyone have any idea what ‘etiquette’ is for this? I don’t want to save Howies blessing to me if I am supposed to use it.
Howie you were kind and generous! I will (do) miss you.
***
A have safe weekend. Cherish your friends and family.
xo Kim
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I lost someone VERY dear to me to an aneurysm as well! It is so devastating, as, like a heart attack, it is sudden and no time for formalities. I feel ya’lls pain and will keep yall in my prayers – and Howie and his family as well.
Oh, and I know nothing about the coin/candy..maybe you can look it up online.
I’m so sorry for your loss, words are just so lame at times like these. But I am able to help you with the symbolism of the coin and the candy, you are supposed to eat the candy to take away the bitterness and sorrow, and to remember the sweetness of life and the one who has passed. The coin should be spent, I think it brings good luck.
Hope your weekend is full of love and laughter.
So sorry about your loss.
I like when funerals are more about the celebration of the person’s life rather than mourning their passing. I’m glad that it was a special experience.
I’m sorry for your loss-that is difficult.
Sorry for your loss. My opinion would be to eat the candy and spend the coin. I remember hearing that some cultures do this sort of thing.
I am so sorry for you lost.
I have been to Buddhist funeral before, but did not receive anything like yours. But if you can scan the Chinese writing and send it to me, I might be able to help you out.
Oh, Kim, I am so sorry for your loss. Although it sounds like Howie would rather you think of his passing not as a loss but as having had the wonderful opportunity to experience something special even if for only a short time. Sometimes it seems that somethings (or some people) are so rare and special that we only get to experience them as “limited time opportunities” – as hard as that may be for those after they are gone.
Sorry to hear of your loss.
Sorry to hear of your loss. It’s difficult to loose someone suddenly. My thoughts are with you and your brother and Howie’s family.
I’m so sorry about your loss.
So sorry to hear about your loss…we will definitely be thinking and praying for you!
I’m sorry to hear of your friends passing. My step mother passed away from an aneurysm when I was only 7 years old. It was so hard to comprehend that she had tucked me into bed the night before and the next morning I was being awoken by the police to see if I was okay. Such a hard thing to go through at any age.
I’m glad that the blessing was a great celebration on his life and all that was Howie.
Hope you have a great weekend as well Kim.
The loss of a close friend is difficult. I am sorry for your loss. I think I would eat the candy and keep the coin. What would Howie have done?
Sympathies for your loss. Death is so impossible to comprehend, especially when it is someone in your peer group.
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss (((hugs)))
Losing a dear one is rough. I send my condolences.
Sorry to hear about it…losing someone is always tough.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
I think you are supposed to eat the candy and use the coin, sort of symbolic of the fact that life goes on for those left behind.
So sorry for your loss.
I am so sorry for your loss.
(((((HUGS)))))) to you on your loss. According to the San Jose news- Candy is to eat immediately, to sweeten the sadness of his death, the other to spend that day.
I am so sorry for your loss. Praying for the family in this tough time.
So sorry for your loss.
The coin is for good luck and to be spent, preferably on something sweet, and the candy should be eaten in order to cast away the bitter taste of death and any bad luck.
Hope you feel better soon. Losing a friend is never easy. ~K~
Oh girl. I am so sorry to hear about your loss. My heart goes out to you.
I’m so sorry to hear about your friend. It must be so difficult to lose someone so suddenly. I know you’ll miss him terribly. I’d never heard of the candy and coin before, but the symbolism that others have mentioned is touching.
Kim, I’m so very sorry to hear about your friend’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am sorry :( (((hugs)))
I am sorry for your loss and for all that it brings to your mind. The candy and coin are, as others said, to be used to remind you that just as candy and coins are soon gone, so is life, but though life is short-lived, it is sweet and valuable and should be “consumed”, spent freely, and celebrated in the moment.
Peace and prayers to you.
Deb on the Rocks – you summed it up beautifully and succinctly in your comments post. Wonderfully stated… and something we should all strive to do.
I’m so sorry for your loss.
whenever I have a bump in my road it reminds me to hug my baby a little tighter and be that much more thankful for the gift we were given.
(More HUGS))) Wow, thats a lot to process in a few days. Although Im excited to see what you have bought, take some time for you. You have such great prizes in the contest that Im sure its fantastic stuff.
(((hugs))) I hope things are going better for you.
Hope you are doing at least a bit better by now
(((((Hugs)))) What an interesting blessing/ token (the candy and the coin) I had not heard of it before. ((((More and More Hugs!)))
I like deb on the rocks’ comment – live life freely you only get once chance!
So sorry to hear about the passing of your friend.
Very sorry to hear about your friend. My condolances to you and your brother.
Sorry for you loss. I love the idea of the candy and coin, very cool.
I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you’re doing better.
Take some time to be with your family.
I am soooooo sorry for your loss.
I’m also very sorry for your loss. The coin is for good luck and the candy is to remove the bitter taste of death. I don’t know if you are supposed to spend the coin. In my opinion, you should probably carry it with you for luck. I hope this helps.
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