Pog Thiab Yawg

This will be a somewhat short post. I went home last week Thursday to Ua Neeb. Typically I go home every weekend, but I was going to be out of town so that's why I decided to do it on a weekday. Any case, this time it was different.

So, the other day I called my grandma (pog) just to see how she and my yawg (grandpa) were doing. I called her early in the morning (shaman life). As we start talking, I tell her about my ua neeb experience that occurred on Thursday. We talk and then she went silent. I start to hear her sniffing and she started to cry. Now, the only thing that breaks my heart more than seeing and hearing my own mom cry is when my grandma cries. They've lived too long and gone through too much to be crying. Anyways, she started to cry and tear up. She said, "nws yeej muaj tseeb tias peb niam thiab peb txiv yeej ib txwm nrog peb." This translates to, "It is true that our mom and dad are always with us." And then she says, "Cov laus yeej ib txwm hais rau peb, ey hnub no yeej muaj tseeb." This translates to, "the elders have always told us, and so it truly is true..." I went on to tell her not to cry and that as I went on my journey, I saw a few people on my way back and so I sent nyiaj (money) to them (my great grandparents and great great grandparents). I told her that as people and as living beings born on this Earth, no one can live forever. All those that are born must leave one day. And then I told her not to cry and "Tsis txhob tu siab." I said, "Ua neeg nyob no, neej thiab dab sib cais ntev ntev, yeej paub si nco." This translates to, "The living and the dead have been separated for so long, they do know how to miss each other too..."

She said to keep practicing and one day maybe I get the chance to ua neeb for her and my grandpa. I told her that if fate is on our side, I intend to ua neeb for them and my niam tais and yawm txiv.

This conversation with my grandma really opened my eye to something. It's that, Hmong shamanism and the way of the neeb is a way that connects us to all that have lived before us. As my grandma said, our parents never really leave our side even after their death. There is comfort and confidence in that. Since starting this journey and experience, I view things like life and death in such a different way. There is comfort in knowing that even after one passes, we will all unite when our time comes.