Mum Laid to Rest

When Mum passed away last week and funeral arrangements began in earnest, I worried how I would deal with viewing her body and all the stuff that come with funerals. I also feared that I would put on weight due to staying at home most of the time while being fed sumptuous meals by the women who came to cook.

Everything turned out perfectly fine though. I felt bright and clear-headed throughout the mourning week. And I enjoyed interacting with the people who flocked to our home to condole with us.

We laid my beloved Mum to rest yesterday. The day began well for me. I woke up effortlessly early in the morning and travelled to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi where we viewed and collected Mum's body.

Saddened by the sight of Mum's lifeless face through the opened section of her casket, I felt like crying but I stayed strong. Soon after we were through with body viewing, I got into the hearse with Dad and three ladies. We were driven to my hometown Catholic church for a funeral service.

The funeral service was lively with beautiful singing by the choir, a great sermon by the priest and wonderful emceeing by Ludovic Kahoro, the church catechist. And I was privileged to offer a tribute to Mum during the service. Here's what I said in the tribute:

My fellow christians, allow me to offer a brief but sincere tribute to my mother, the late Rebecca Muthoni Maina. Since I got to know her as my Mum back in the '90s when I was a small boy, all I can say is that she was the best mother I could ever have wished for. Very responsible and committed to her role as our mother.

I remember with nostalgia observing her wake up every morning to tend our farm, feed the cattle and then head to our hometown of Kiserian to run her shop. It was from that shop that she earned the money which put food on our table, clothes on our backs and roofs over our heads. Not once did she ever take a break from her work. That's how committed she was as a mother.

Over the years, I have acquired a lot of knowledge which made me more educated than Mum. Despite my superior education, to her, I was still her child. She would therefore offer me advice on how to go about my life. And I must say that I appreciated some of her advice.

After she was incapacitated in 2013 by an illness that forced her to close her shop and rest at home, she kept on showing us her responsible side. Many a times, she would phone our family members, friends and relatives to check on how they were doing. For me, I always found it a delight to hear her voice over the phone.

And it has been the honor of my life to look after her for the last eight years when her health was declining. We shared some good times together as well as some bad times. But it was all a great ride.

One of my favorite memories of our times together are the evenings she'd wish me journey mercies and Christ's blessings before I headed to Kiserian for my walking exercises.

Yes, Mum was a good and responsible woman. Loving, generous and understanding. As we gather here today to bid her farewell, I am terribly grief-stricken. I will miss her jokes, her voice, her advice and her blessings.

But since Mum believed in Christ, I am confident that she is now in a better place in heaven where she is watching over us. And I can hardly wait to be reunited with her in heaven. So till we meet again, rest in peace Mum.

Before the funeral day, I had resolved that if I felt horribly nervous while delivering the tribute, I would pretend I was sorrowful and pause to gather my wits. When it came time to deliver the tribute, I felt a bit confident and was satisfied with what I said. And I was encouraged when my brother Joe remarked that I had delivered my tribute brilliantly.

After the funeral service, we headed to our home to bury Mum. Tears of grief cascaded down my ruddy face as I watched Mum's casket being lowered into the cold, dark grave. My friend Douglas Warui tried to console me.

I am glad the funeral ceremonies are now over. What I desire is for things to go back to normal at home, even though nothing will ever look normal without Mum. And by the way, I am happy that I didn't gain weight during the mourning week as can be attested by the photo of me above that was taken yesterday.

Having stoically dealt with the news of Mum's death, viewing her body and attending her funeral, I now feel well equipped to handle anything that can happen in my life. For as the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Ciao!

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on Mum's funeral, you might also enjoy another one on "Understanding Our Parents" which I wrote last year. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.