Death is usually a difficult and sorrowful subject, often met with grief in any family or friendship setting. Family in South Africa gathers to practise a song to be sung at their grandfather’s funeral. However, one grandfather has taken it as an opportunity to bring his family closer together in a bittersweet yet meaningful way. Jessica Magaqa shared a video on TikTok of her grandfather leading them in a song he wants sung at his funeral ceremony.
Magaqa shared that her grandfather makes them practise the song every year. In the clip, the elderly man is seated at the centre of the room while the other family members are seated across from him, all carrying papers with the song lyrics. “Point of view, your grandfather makes you practise the song he wants at his funeral every year. He even printed it out this year,” she captioned the video.
The song seeks to encourage the bereaved that all is well when loved ones pass away. Netizens react to grandfather teaching family his funeral song Social media users expressed varied reactions to the video, with others sharing similar situations with their grandparents. Palesa Moeti: “My grandfather wrote his funeral programme for us. Half the people on that programme had died by the time he died.”
Qiqafiguresitout: “He doesn’t want anyone off-key at his funeral.” Prudence B. Gama: “My grandmother to us when she was 73 in 2009; we stopped singing in 2015 because it was a waste of time .2024 she’s 88 and still alive, every day when she wakes up, she asks.” Lulu: “What happens after practise? This is so awkward.” Zulu: “My grandad has been wanting to rest since I was 13. I’m 24 now and he’s still saying.” Thobeka KaPhakade Mc: “Since 2010, my granny has always announced on her birthday or Christmas Day that this will be her last Christmas or birthday with us. Today, we are celebrating her 96th birthday.”
by Lynn-Linzer Kibebe
