parting is such sweet sorrow!

but why?

at the airport you could see this often. there is only a couple or even a single member of a family that is going to perform the umrah and they are being mobbed by the entire platoon of family members that comes from near or a far. soon before the departure, the act of "kissing-hugging-crying" never fails to happen, almost never!

why is parting such a sweet sorrow? we should all be happy for those that has been chosen by Allah to become his guest on the holy land. shouldn't we be merry and laughing for the blessed trip. couldn't we shift our mindsets, not to think only on the negative side, you know that we will never see them again - that they will die in the holy land - just to put it crudely. statistics have shown that haj/umrah jumaah that return home makes about more than 93%. why are we bothered by small fraction?

shouldn't the couple that is going on a 8-hour long flight be left to concentrate on their journey? after all they have been deprived of much sleep needed days before departure, because they had to labour for the "kenduri" for family members that came to the house to wish them well and to send them off at the airport.

poor sons and daughters that has been left behind now battling the chores  of clearing the whole house, washing and scrubbing big pots and pans, putting away plates, glasses and utensils that has been used for the past few days. to entertain the guests as well as "totos" and mattresses, pillows and bolsters back to their original places. days of leaves are needed to complete the tasks.

here's a plan the next time you want to go to makkah to perform your haj or umrah.

1. tell no one that you are going so that you are safe from the invasion of troops of family members and close friends that come to the house or the airport.
2. no sobbing at the airport means that there are saving on boxes of tissue papers. do you know how many trees has been saved?
3. you could concentrate better on your umrah's rules and regulations and doa's that you have desperately fail to remember or recite during the weekends lesson by the travel agents.
4. physically and emotionally you could prepare yourselves better by resuming your brisk walks in the park or on the treadmill since haj and umrah requires physical fitness and strength instead of playing host and cooking madly the whole day.
5. there is nothing wrong with entertaining your family members and friends upon successfully completing the ibadah when you return home. especially so, now that you could give away the little trinkets purchased in makkah or medinah during your free time or break. they are much happier that way.

no, i am not the poor son that has been left behind, but does that sounds like a selfish bloke that thinks he exists in this world all by himself and who needs societal support? 


but then again those tips were genuinely useful, don't you think?