"A Toast to Life"

What is happening to the community?
The loss of a middle-aged uncle
And a young brother on the brink of life
And a mother ailing for the past several months
Each life within a year of the other

Is this just the fragility of life itself?
Was this simply the physical frailty of our bodies one day weakening in old age?
Or is it this idea that there are only so many precious fleeting moments of life that even a young person has to live?

And yet we live our lives each day
Making sure we watch the SAG awards
And planning our Super Bowl parties
Driving to work after our morning cup of coffee
Making our monthly payment on our home mortgage
Watching history take place in U.S. politics on CNN,
Truly believing that just maybe these moments just might last forever

And though we live with this feeling of immunity
Let us instead challenge ourselves to wake up to our life
With our eyes open and our hearts clear
So the tears we shed for others cut more deeply
And our smiles become more valuable as we fully extend them from cheek to cheek
As we celebrate this life
And the treasure that it is


-In memory of a loving uncle-Ram and a loving brother.-Raja. Both people were part of two different Indian families in our community of family friends in the South Bay. The two individuals had passed away approximately within a year of each other. They are survived by their respective families.