Circle of life* - Elton John

I received a text message earlier today - there's a funeral service tonite. I din really know him that well but he's a good mate of me senior partner back in me lawyer-ing days.

I used to think of the month of May as the month of deaths. Yeah, morbid. Besides being the month when the bloodiest racial riots took place in Malaysia, i've said goodbye to many brothers and sisters in Christ - until we meet again, on that one sweet day. And today, i have another to add on to that list. :-(

But i know it's really unfair to look at May like that. After all, May is the month of many births too! A mate just celebrated the birth of another child a couple of weeks ago. May is the month when i celebrate me mom's birthday - indirectly, it is a celebration of not just her life, but the lives of me bro and me sis, me own life, and the lives of me nephew and niece too. And May is the month where we had the most birthdays celebrated in our flat, Rayleigh 11, last year.

That's the circle of life, isn't it? Being brought into this world and being taken away. Kinda reminds me of that episode in season 1 of Lost where Boone dies and Claire gives birth to her child. Or the other nite when me mp3 player on random played "Tears in heaven" and "With arms wide open" back to back.

For both occasions, we celebrate life - the new life that just arrived, or the life that has touched us, or the life that still is with us.

Here's my little photo-tribute to me mates scattered over 3 different continents now who celebrates/celebrated their birthdays this month! (Check out their individual collages here).

*The song used first in the movie, The Lion King, and is now still being used in the musical version in London.