to be or not to be

We exist in a global village, one that is made smaller & more accessible through internet existence. If you are a first generation citizen then you probably have many friends & relatives you keep in touch with from your country of origin or birth. If you're an expat then you're definitely one to work that email & get up to date on the all ongoings of your hometown. Your email contact list probably hosts a plethora of people you keep in touch at your leisure - even if your mode of communication is via forwards.

My mom's cousin passed away this weekend. He would often send us all forwards - some scary, some funny, some with adult content for us adults. Last night, as I was going through my email contacts list, I came across his name & the stark realization hit me - I won't be emailing him anymore. I am sure the rest of the family & his friends who had him on their list will soon undergo the same realization. I feel like it's almost too cruel to delete his name of my contact list. Sort of like I'd be erasing him forever. Seems silly, doesn't it?

I still have the name of one of my high school friends in my contact list, who passed away five years ago. Everyone so often as I skim through my contacts, I come across his name & am reminded of the funny person he was. Bit of a troublemaker really. But you see if I didn't have his name on there I'd remember him less often.