Of death and time.

Yesterday at the bookstore:

Customer: Ate, meron pa po ba kayong libro ni Dolphy? (Is the book on Dolphy still available?)

Sales representative: Tingnan mo dun sa harap, nag-iisa na lang yata yun. (Try to look on the front shelves, I think only one copy is available.)

I suddenly smiled when I heard  this conversation while I was buying some school supplies in one bookstore in Baguio city. I knew that this will be happening and maybe I also smiled because am in the same situation as that of the customer.

Earlier, my father told me, "Kung kelan naman namatay tsaka mo naging idol." He was kind of telling the truth because they saw that I became interested about Dolphy's life and works. But then I asked to myself, is it really necessary for a person to die first before he will be recognized? Is death a requirement for you to be missed?

Maybe right now you are thinking because I know that you have felt like this for once, twice or even more than thrice before. You have lost your pen. Your favorite pet may have gone. You know how it feels like to lose a loved one. But the sad part of the story is that we do not realize the significance all of these before they vanish, before the things and the people that we all love are taken away from us.

The moral lesson? We must not wait for someone to pass away before we show the feelings that they must really feel from us. Go on and let them feel it right now for time is holding us on both hands, but our both hands will never be able to get hold of time.