THE social media was abuzz with a story that went viral recently about a young bride who passed away less than 24 hours after her wedding. She was Fatin Nursyahirah Yusuf, and her brother, Shukur, shared the moving story in his Facebook account about his younger sister whom the family fondly called Kakak.
Fatin, who had Stage Four sarcoma cancer, passed away soon after the solemnisation ceremony.
“God loves her more and she left us at dawn on Saturday with Mama, Abah (father), her husband, Mak Besah, and myself by her side,” Shukur wrote in the post.
The amazing thing was that her husband, Azzam and his whole family had decided to proceed with the ceremony despite Fatin’s worsening condition. It was the least they could do to fulfil her last wish.
“It was a new motivation for Kakak as Azzam was determined to make her his wife. Only God knows the level of his sincerity, accepting an ailing person into his life. His family was equally great, supporting his decision to proceed with the wedding. We’re grateful that God had sent them into Kakak’s life, people with clean hearts and pure intention to find her a cure as well as provide emotional support,” wrote Shukur.
MAKE IT COUNT
This story is a great lesson and reminder for all. Firstly, it shows that love is a powerful remedy for the soul. Even in her dying hours, Fatin could smile radiantly in her wedding dress. Azzam would not let anything come in the way of their love, not even terminal cancer.
Love is indeed eternal. A person may die but true love lives forever. Secondly, we should not take anyone for granted, much less our loved ones. Unfortunately, many people do. They get stuck in the “love comfort zone” where they stop trying to enhance or even express their love.
Do we wait for our loved ones to pass on before we begin to miss them? A better strategy is to make it count while they’re still around. Ensure that we spend time together and appreciate them regularly. Better still, surprise them occasionally to show our love. Whether it’s for our spouse or children, we don’t have to wait for special occasions.
Create opportunities to mend broken relationships. Appreciate what the family has done for us even if we do not like it. Chances are, their intention was noble, even if their method wasn’t to our liking.
After all, we’re their flesh and blood and they only want the best for us. At the end of the day, life is too short to be disconnected from our own family. Regardless of the difference, there will surely be a way out for all. We just have to continue connecting and not follow our negative emotions too much. Just like that popular 80s song The Living Years reminds us:
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It’s too late when we die
To admit we don’t see eye to eye
Zaid Mohamad coaches and trains parents to experience happier homes and more productive workplaces. Reach him at zaid@smartparents.com.my