Sleepy

Life embraces us in many various ways.
Sometimes it comes with hope and happiness.
Sometimes it comes with pain and sorrow. We wake up every day to sometimes experience new beginnings, and sometimes new ends. We fall asleep every night with hopes to dream of beautiful dreams and to escape from the daytime stress.

And there were days like today,where you just feel too lazy to wake up. The alarm clock kept on ringing, getting louder and louder. Slept late last night, finishing a contract. And this morning,  every bit of you is not responding to the wake up call. Another half an hour, please..

Opening one eye..then another. Tugging slightly at the curtain. Ah.. it's raining outside. The weather does suits your mood.. Raining and cloudy. Closing one eye. Then another. Let me dream some more.. Hoping that when I open my eyes, it will be Sunday (ha! that will only happens when the moon turns purple). Hugging a pillow. Mmm..sleepy.. no, wake up.. sleepy lah..wake up, . Wake up!

Do you know the difference between 'hoping' and 'dreaming'? (smiling).
Hoping is wishing it's a Sunday even if you do know that today is Wednesday.
Dreaming is imagining how it feels to wake up with a kiss on the cheek :p
Ok, enough of that. Time to wake up. Stretching like a real cat.. and opening the eyes widely.

Someone Who Cares

Love the song lyrics :

Someone to care
someone to share all your troubles
like no other can do
He'll come down from the skies
and brush the tears from your eyes
You're his and he cares for you

When the world seems cold
and your friends seem few
There is someone who cares for you
When you've tears in your eyes
your heart bleeds inside
There is someone who cares for you
Someone to care...

When your disappointments come
and you feel so blue
There is someone who cares for you
When you need a friend
a friend till the end
There is someone who's a friend to you
Someone to care...

********
Wouldn't it just makes the heart glad when you know that someone is thinking of you.
All the woes and worries just seems not so important .. when at the end of the day there's someone who wishes you the sweetest goodnight,,
And again wishes you a very good morning before you go to work..

Swing, Little Girl, Swing

Swing little girl

Swing high to the sky

And don’t ever look at the ground

If you’re looking for rainbows

Look up to the sky

You’ll never find rainbows

If you’re looking down

Life may be dreary

But never the same

Some day it’s sunshine

Some day it’s rain

Swing little girl

Swing high to the sky

And don’t ever look to the ground

If you’re looking for rainbows

Look up to the sky

But never, no never, look down..

**************************

This is one of Charlie Chaplin's songs that Cat really love to hear again and again.
Cat is not a brave person. Everyone, in the park, was trying to make their swings go higher and higher until it seems like the ropes would break, and they were going to fly up to the sky. Some were even standing on the swings, showing off their skills , no doubt.



While being happy for them, Cat just enjoy swinging low. and enjoying the breeze. At the same time dreaming of things. Lost in her own world till it's time to go home. Mom would make a big fuss when she saw Cat's shoes (dusty.. as Cat used them to kick at the sand each time her feet landed on the ground, so that the swing would not stop swinging).

Though Cat is older now, Cat still like to have a go on the swings. (Particularly when no one is around. Grown ups are not supposed to play with the playthings there, for fear that their big frames will break the toys). Thankfully Cat's small size allows her to break the rules from time to time :D

Just to feel the breeze teasing and running through the hair, the hot sun giving it's warmth and light, and to loose yourself again in memories..with no thoughts at all of current problems. How Cat  loves swinging to and fro.. and forget all the sad things..


~Cat~ 

Voting the Vote

This it it. The much awaited Malaysian General Election is finally here. After the dissolution of the Parliament on 3rd April 2013, The 'E' day will be held tomorrow, on 5th May 2013. 

Cat is not going to talk about politics nor the parties that are contesting. Cat is also not going to rally for votes on behalf of any certain parties in her blog. There has been lots of speculations, heated arguments, peaceful discussions, persuasions and coffee table talks. What Cat wants to bring up is the question of "Voting".

 Majority of those around Cat either did not register as voters or plan to submit a 'blank' voting paper. Reasons that they gave are: 1) what's the use of voting when everything resolves around bribery? 2) My 1 vote does nothing 3) The result is screwed up 4) I do not care about politics or who will reign the country   5) fear for their safety in case of riots?

A vote is a vote. It's your right..and not voting implicates that you are throwing away your rights, your privilege to voice out your opinion or choice. Regardless of which party that you supported, without your one vote the party might lose. What is the use of complaining from the back end and not doing anything that can make a difference? You have seen what have been done by all the parties during the tenure. You have heard the promises and live with the improvements as well as  the downfall. It's time to jump off the fence and make a difference. It's your country after all and you are living in it.

Give a few minutes/hour of your time. Let's go and vote.

regards
Cat

Freedom to Choose

Every one of us has been given the freedom to choose. Whatever happens to is a result of our own choice or responsibility.

Everything that happens has a relationship with whatever we have done before this. Some called it Chain Reaction or even Cosmic Reaction. Some believe it to be 'karma': Good deeds will be repaid with good gains and bad deeds will bring you bad results. That is why we can never blame someone else or God for whatever befalls us.

Some people do negative things, while hoping that good things will come to them. For example, 'A' is a lazy worker, but he hopes to be given a big bonus and a promotion. 'B' doesn't pay his monthly car payment, spend the money on entertainment, and nevertheless he hopes that the bank will not seized it. When the bad results do happen, 'A' blamed the boss as being unfair and 'B' blamed the bank as being heartless!

It's actually the same as what cat has learn with LOA. The way we look at the world depends on the way we think and what we believe. These ideas or beliefs acts as a screen and will show you what you want to see. Two persons might be in love and when things turn out badly and everything falls apart, one of them might came out of it positively and think that he will find the right person someday, while the other might end up with hating the whole world. The choice is yours.

A thing to remember is that memories and the mind can sometimes play a trick on us. The brain makes a conclusion based on what we belief. All info that enters the mind can be erased, turn around, and changed according on how we want it to look like.

Choose how you want things to be. You can smile and changed a bad day into a good one. You can laughed at something silly that you did and you enjoy the weather (no matter if it's sunny or rainy). You can also be thankful that you still have a friend to stand by you. Be grateful that you are still living and healthy.

Signing off,
Cat

Smell the Flowers

Last 2 weeks, there was an open house event at the orphanage. The board, sponsors and people from the nearby area has been invited to attend as the children would like to perform a play as a thank you to everyone before the school year ends.

The children on the stage were excited and look forward to entertain us with their best performance. Cat heard that they have been training a whole month for this. But half of the attendees were not even paying attention. Some were talking, others were already showing a bored face and looking at their watches as if they were wasting their time there and would prefer to be elsewhere.

Then one of the board director stood up and went to the stage.
'Could everyone just off their handphones and give only 30 minutes of your attention to these children. Not a week or a day but only 30 minutes. They have been practising practically every day in order to express their gratitude to all of us. We, who have enjoyed a lot in life, are only asked to sit and give 30 minutes of our time. That is all that is required. Is it too much to ask?'

Ooo..there are still heroes in this life. Cat was already standing and clapping her hands for that guy who has voiced out cat's mind before cat got the chance. The clapping was cut short as cat's friend was pulling cat's hand to make cat sit down. :) Ouch..

There were those with guilty faces and those like cat who was glad for the speech. There was a bit of a silence and the show continues with now everyone giving their full attention.
********************************
If we don't have time to listen to these children, what do we have time for?
We do need to slow down and remember what we really need. a sense of fulfillment, of happiness, of peace.

Maybe we are too occupied with ourselves (this includes cat). We are in a hurry to get home at night, so that we can go to bed, so that we can wake up early in the morning, so that we can go to work again ..etc..etc.. :) And we spend the weekend preparing the work for the next week.

Cat agree that we need to work hard sometimes to make end meets. But when we never stop to look at the sky, we lose our human side. We become mechanical.

In the old days, people work side by side with nature, using their hands producing something that they can touch and feel. They interact with neighbors to sell their products. Nowadays things are more abstract. We sit in front of a screen and does not connect it with real life.

Cat is as guilty as the next person. Cat hated waiting in line and would just like to rush from one place to another. Cat would sometimes get impatient when the service was slow regardless that it was a fresh new staff who was at her first job. Hmm.. :) but Cat is trying to change.

Maybe it's time to slow down a bit and give someone a break. Cat is going to pay more attention to what's happening around cat and spend some time getting to know her neighbors. :) Ah...Cat.. seems like you'll never graduate from this life's school.

Signing off,
Cat

When life’s problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate

The First Break

Cat was reading this motivation book (:p something to help keep the chin up and the smile as bright as the shining star) and the topic just caught the eye.

The article was saying that there is a time in life where you are at a junction or at a low period of your life. Someone saw something in you once..and gave you that first break. A break that has partly made it possible for you to be at where you are today.

It might be your father or mother, a thoughtful uncle, a perceptive teacher, a demanding boss, an appreciative partner or it's just someone who trusted you enough to dug deep down into his pocket and came up with the few bucks that you desperately needed.



Whoever it is, the person had had the kindness and the forethought to put his trust and confidence in you. Those are the 2 beautiful qualities that separated a human being from a beast.

The first step to do is in the next 24 hours, take 10 minutes to write a grateful note to the person who helped you. A thank you note that.. who knows is much needed.. to soothe that person's heart at the moment. A thank you note to let that person knows that his/her words or help is not wasted and it has changed someone's life.

But what if.. that person is no longer on this earth? How do you say thank you? How do you let him/her knows that he/she has changed your life? Well, that is why cat believes that a 'thank you' and 'i'm sorry' should be given immediately and not be kept till the time for it has expired. Throw away the ego.. life is short for those that really matters..



Secondly, why don't you take another 10 minutes to give someone else a break? Who knows? One day you yourself might get a nice letter. It could be one of the most gratifying messages that you have ever read.. a balm for the heart..

Lastly, write in your blog a thank you note for that someone..Maybe the letter would mean a lot to someone..

Hmm.. thinking of all those that has helped cat reach this stage in her life.. especially to you who has tendered more than a helping hand in a time where cat believes that life has no more meaning.. Thank you from the deep of cat's heart.

Signing off,
Cat

Stormy Nights

Stormy clouds are gathered here and doesn't seem to have signs of moving on to other places. Cat is trying to be as brave as she can. A friend's motivation story keep on rewinding itself in her mind. When God gives a person sunshine and happiness, that person never questions God 'why me?'. So, it wouldn't do also to complaint and question God now when you are sad.

Nowadays, Cat's voice has become quieter. There are times when she cannot say anything. That is why she writes.

No, that is not totally right. Cat chooses to write. It's her choice. Words, when spoken cannot be taken back. But words written, can be read and rewrite again and again. The best part is that thoughts and feelings can be shared..

God didn't promise days without pain,
Laughter without sorrow,
Sun without rain,
But He did promise strength for the day,
Comfort for the tears, and light for the way..

* Love looking at the above photo **

A Rose for a Cat

It has been a tiring, difficult week and Cat was feeling a little fragile and introspective. Still hurting from yesterday's episode and still down in the dumps.

Cat was really upset and tired. Thinking that it was no good always trying to be the 'understanding' one and the one that people run to when they need advices. Questioning on why there's no one around when it's cat's turn to ask for advices. Sadness and self pity..what a combination.

Then a YM came from someone and saves the day. Thank you, dear friend, for knocking some senses into Cat's head and for also the virtual rose. Ouch..the thorns can still hurts though (smile).

One more lessons today: We should not expect any return for doing a good deed. Doing a good deed is like giving a beautiful rose to someone. If it makes that someone happy, very good. After you give it, walk on. The smile on that person's face is enough and you certainly do not stand there and hope that the person will give a rose back to you. The rose would be given to you at a time when you needed it most and by someone else. Just like today.

When in doubt, we usually prefer to be anxious and fearful. That way, if things get worse, you are already tensed and miserable. You don't need to make adjustments to your mood. However, if things turn out not so bad at all, you can feel that it was your early preparation to be miserable that has spared you.

The situation grim enough without our making it worse for ourselves. We need to realize that weeping and wailing doesn't help at all. Just got to keep on smiling.

A quote : If you can do something about the situation, then do it, just don't worry about it. If you can't do anything about it, then there's also no point in worrying because nothing can be done.

In times of crisis, cat might just do as the British : I'll just go and make some tea (smile) or in Asia..let's go and cook some rice. Better still, go and pluck a rose (but not from his garden lah) :)

Sunny Sunday

One day at a time - this is enough.
Do not look back
and grieve over the past,
for it is gone:
and do not be troubled about the future,
for it has not yet come.
Live in the present,
and make it so beautiful
that it will be worth remembering.
(Ida Scott Taylor)
**************************

So many things to do and so little time to do it all.
Sigh.. how Cat does wish to be Santa Clause who has so many elves at his call. Fancy that..Santa has only to delegate all the wrapping and putting ribbons on the gifts. Guess that's why he's always cheerful and laughing.

Cat would have liked to be able to do the right things always. But, guess that is not to be so. This Cat must stumble and fall to get from point A to point B. She certainly do not have a GPS incorporated inside her. But still, she'll get there even though full of bruises and scratches.

Waiting for the medicine to settle down. Painkillers are supposed to kill the pain, but not only that, they seem to dull the mind too. Hazy day..

Salute To Every Malaysian

FROM PERODUA :

A Salute to Every Malaysian

For the ones who mix their coffee with tea..
Who look for Nasi Lemak when they are overseas..
And the ones who finish their meals with an ABC..

For those who speak more than 2 languages
Who ride with their jackets on backwards
And the ones who cannot wake up
Without a Super 'Kau' kopi-o first..

For the ones who call everyone 'bro'
Who 'Lat-Tali-Lat to decide who gets to go
And the ones who bargain hunting
Best Price finding pros...

For the ones that stay up late for matches
Who island hop on our beautiful beaches
And the ones who would never
Ever trade durians for peaches..

For the ones who gave their lives for merdeka
Who laid the foundations in the days of Malaya
And the ones who proudly
Call themselves Malaysians

For the ones on the east and west coast
Who call Sabah and Sarawak home
And for every Malaysian
Because you matter most...

Without A Reason

For everything, there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:

A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together..
*********
You met a girl and you wanted to go out on a date with her. The person may be incredibly good looking, nice laughter, have an interesting personality.. all that you have ever wanted.
Everything is working out as you wanted but you cannot fight the gut feeling that something is not right. Something is telling you that she is not for you. That you would better turn around and make an exit. Once in a while, you will get that tingling feeling in your bones.

That is what we call 'intuition'. Whether it is about changing jobs, locations or matters of the heart, it works just the same. You know when you know. And you decide whether to follow that intuition or to go against it.

Stuart Mullins who has worked with Corporate,Hospitality and Leisure/Theme Park Industries around the world has a very interesting story on this :

A very talented well respected General Manager from one of the major 5 star brands was approached by the owners to come back to manage a previous 5 star world class property he was GM at .Since he left, it had gone down hill a tad. The owners threw money at him and offered excellent benefits and conditions. They really went out of their way to woo him back.

Many of his colleagues told him it's a great position, wonderful hotel, great location, well respected owners and the money was exceptional, and he should feel honoured to be asked back.

So when I was asked what I thought, I had a query , a simple question ;

"How did you feel when you walked back in the lobby?" His comment was "I feel as if I am going backwards, I've been here before, It's time to move on, move forward".

And he couldn't shake this feeling. No amount of money was going to change this. Did he take the position? No. Were the owners annoyed? Yes, of course they were.

However, he made the right decision based on gut feeling and is doing very well in an Owners Rep/ Asset Management role which he is excelling in.

Nothing is different when looking for a new position or not looking. You will know when it is time to move, and only you, not your partner, not your work colleagues, not the recruiter, just you...


What time is it now? Time to change? Time to stay put? Well, you decide. Don't listen to what others are telling you. After all it's your life, hopes and dreams that is in the the basket of eggs.

May the Force be with you.. :)

Skills & Studies

The Star (17 Nov 2009)
PhD holders jobless among thousands registered with portal
AT THE DEWAN RAKYAT

DOCTORATE holders are among those who registered with JobsMalaysia, a government portal to help graduates get jobs.

Deputy Human Resources Minis-ter Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan said from the 69,760 job hunters who registered with the portal, 18 held doctorates, 1,165 had Masters degrees, 36,985 were Bachelor degree holders while 31,592 had diplomas.
As of last Friday, she added Universiti Teknologi Mara graduates topped the list from public universities with 12,768 applications.
This was followed by Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with 4,151 and 2,943 applicants respectively.
The majority majored in business administration, electric, electronics and telecommunications engineering, mechanical and mechatronics engineering, accounts and pure sciences.

__________________________________________

The above news and another of a wheelchaired Year 6 Zaim Shafri who scored 4A's & 1B caught cat's attention. How can cat summarizes all this clearly?

School only help to prepare you academically. To achieve your dreams and to survive in the "real" world, you need to be "streetwise" also.
Seriously, you need a combination of both in life (unless you are really a genius or you are lucky).

*Academic: so that you would know facts or know where to dig it so that no one can make a fool out of you. You can be the smartest kid in your class, but when you graduate and enter the real world, there are others that are also top of their classes.
* Streetwise or street smart:
You are not the only person who scores perfect A's or B's. The competition will be heavy and academic is not the only criteria people will look at. It's also how you projected yourself. Why would they need to give you the job? What do you have to offer them besides your certificates? Your communication skills, your general knowledge, your stress and anger management..etc..etc. Dealing with people is certainly different than dealing with computers

So, equipped yourself also from now with other skills. Take your nose out from the book from time to time. Join your friends on outings, talk with other people other than your schoolmates, join any 'kenduri' at your area. Just go and mix around. Learn how to talk and listen to others. See how people interact. This will help you in the long run.

And.. have fun. "All study and no play makes Jake a dull person". Learn to take time to stop and smell the flowers. You are young only once. Don't concentrate 100% on studies. You can't turn back the time. ;)

Balance it well and Don't Give Up. You always miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Be strong ok.

Fasting Mania

The fasting month seems to bring the best and worst in people!

We all wanted to be on our best behavior, to be a better person and have more patience with people around us. Alas, for some, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

This is also the time of the year where co-workers' became supermen and super women as the office clock shows 4.30pm sharp. Gone were those with sleepy eyes and heavy steps.

All of them at the office left early to rush to the 'Bazaar Ramadhan' and try to get back home in time to break fast. The inability to concentrate can be seen as by 4pm all eyes are concentrating at the movement of the office's clock.

Tick tock..tick tock. Productivity is at level 0. Exactly at 5.00pm on the dot, in a flash all were gone.. except for a slow person who is still answering the phone. Total ghost town. Patience, girl, patience. I am just wondering..how they do it. One minute they are there..and you just blink your eyes for a second..blink..it's a ghost town already.

The worst people during this Ramadan are the hard core 'smokers' & coffee lovers. I call them 'The Grumpys'. While normal people like me eat bread, the Grumpys eat cigarettes and brewed coffee instead. Their smile and laughter gets rusty without those 2 items.

Shh,..walk softly. This month is really not a month to tease them. Don't even think of making silly jokes. Their stare is enough to make you wilt and die on the spot.

So, watch what you say and how you say it. :) Especially during lunch hours where small pillows suddenly appear magically on top of the working tables.. and heads falling cozily on them.

As the clock shows 7pm, my turn to start her things up. Time to make a move. The carpark is empty except for a few cars.:) Easy peasy.

Ahh..here comes the worst part. The late hours workers!
Everyone suddenly seem to behave like those F1 drivers. Fast and with 0 tolerance! No signals, no slowing at the corners..just zig zagging between cars. See that big black BMW trying to squeeze itself between my tiny car and at this very small busy lane... Just look at that : My side mirror just inches...from my side mirror.. Oooooo...Can almost imagine the sound of metal against metal. I almost closed my eyes and biting the lips so hard..waiting for the sound to come.

Hmm..my hair will turn all white by the end of the fasting month if this continues..

This is supposed to be a month where everyone should have more tolerance towards his neighbor and cats, isn't it? Plan your journey well ahead like the super people at the office. If you can't, then don't take it out on others. Patience and please do not cut queue while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. :p Have a happy and productive Ramadhan..

Life's Like That

When was the last time that you had someone light you up from the inside out?
When was the last time that being with someone, made you felt that sense of belonging, that sense of safety, that sense of bliss? Someone that could make you feel fulfilled and confident?

A friend was asking me which is better: to be single and alone or to grab and snatch the first person that shows an interest in her. At this later age, she suddenly realizes that time is running out and she was thinking of getting married soon. But she was also afraid of getting hurt.

I do not know what to reply.

Guess, when it comes to the affair of the heart, I am as clueless as yourself. Getting married is like playing games at the fun fair. You have set your target on the Big Winnie the Pooh doll. You aim and throw the dart straight at the green balloon and bang. If you are lucky, you get what you wanted.

Sometimes with so many worries and problems in your head, you forgot one thing: the objective is to experience your best life with him and not what you imagine will or will not happen. You do not want to end up losing everything and staring into empty spaces and wonder is this all what life is about.

If you think you got it bad, look around. I have made many blunders, saying the wrong things from time to time and again and again...

When you have used up all your energy, creativity, curiosity, playfulness and understanding and still some silly words can keep him away, it's no good getting all twisted and tense. It's part and parcel of a thing called life. There are days when it's sunny..and there are days when it rains just as heavily inside your heart as well as outside.

I am slowly deleting most of my sad notes in this notebook. Hoping that it will not influence anyone's outlook on life.

Dear friend, everyone's life story is not the same. You are the best person to know what you really want, and what you are willing to do to get it. It's your choice. Man or no man, if it is to be, it's up to you.

Flying High

Bad trips are wonderful as long as they happen to other people. Of course. We all love travel misadventures stories, partly because they make us laugh, mainly because they could have happened to us but didn't. At least not this time around. -Douglas McArthur-
*************************

I used to think that flying was one of the highlights in life. Sending people to the airport and watching them going to the waiting lounge, seeing the pilot and stewardess walking and laughing and lastly seeing the airplanes taking off. Eyes shining, hand on the glass wall at the terminal. I was determined that one day, when I am older that I am going to fly high in one of those planes.



The Japanese tele-series at that time were not helping at all. They were showing the glamorous life of a stewardess and of people falling in love on an airplane.

Flying is definitely a different thing than what was shown on the television. Statistics tells that only 2% of people meet their spouses on an airplane.



The reality is, it's hard to look alluring when you are flying on economy class. :p Firstly, the tiny seat.. luckily those who are small. (pity the other passengers!) Secondly, comes the discreet elbow fights for the armrest..yes..4 passengers in one row and each entitled to one elbow rest. (laughing). Thirdly, having your neighbour either trying to make small talks or falling asleep on your shoulder. Hated that.

And there's always annoying characters who loves playing around with their friends : tossing peanuts and talking out loud. Lastly, and the most disappointing thing is wherever they sit you (at the aisle or next to the window..there would be no view except a few minutes before taking off and a few minutes before landing. In the middle of the flight, the windows were to be closed. No view of the clouds. Just sitting in a chair for hours after hours doing nothing.



But the best part about flying is arriving at your destination. Walking through the arrival halls, a sigh of relief escaped from the lips. What a luxury it is to be walking on your own two legs again and going through the motions of taking your luggage and going to the hotel. Sometimes, if you are lucky, it's bliss when you have someone waiting for you (whether the other party representatives, friends or family). It's still a joy to have people welcoming you after the long flight.



Can't complaint though. I would certainly miss all this one day..when I am so much much older than now.. :)

Signing off,
Cat

Old Age

I was reading in the papers about an old man who had had to live in a shed behind a school. He had been living there for 5 years since he had left home due to a quarrel with his wife. His children refused to acknowledged him and even now during the eid adha that has just finished, none of his children visited him or has given him new clothes to celebrate the festival.

The old man said that he didn't care much about the clothes. It was the hurt that he felt when his two boys looked at him as they would to a stranger. The younger son even gave him a RM 5 for him to buy lunch. It's the same as being treated like a poor beggar! He told the press how he still remember that it took the doctor 40 mins to help get the first son into the world. The nurse than brought the baby out to the waiting room so that the old man could whisper the 'azan' and 'iqamah' into the child's ears.

It is sad to read stories like this one. When parents go separate ways and the children take sides. There might be another story behind this, but as a child, we usually see our parents only as 'our parents' that it might never occur to you that they are living their own lives too. They also have their dreams, hopes and problems that you would never know.

I used to listen to old folks at 'homes' recalling with fondness of their children. Their faces radiant, eyes shining..and then turning to sadness or bitterness when they suddenly realized where they were: at old folks home..

Would there be enough compassion in the children's heart to forgive whatever mistake that the parents did? For parents are human too..and might make mistakes in their life. Sometimes it's hard when the childhood memory was bitter but try to find a space in your heart to accept them especially at their age. If you have done a big mistake, wouldn't you pray and hope that God would forgive you? If you can't find it in your heart to love them, just treat them as you would have liked your children to treat you when you are older. Life is a cycle...

*********************************
Hmm..talking about this, might be a good idea to have a back up plan. To keep aside some money while I am still young and pay a monthly deposit to reserve a space at an old folk's home. That way I can go and check in anytime after I retired. Going on my own will, using my own money, with my laptop..ooo..what a thought. (Smile) That might avoid cat from being a bitter old lady.

God..hope it won't ever come to this scenario. Sorry..(grin) I sometimes do have this tendency to lighten things up when things get too depressive. Between tears and laughter, I would prefer laughter..(unless the reason for the tears is happiness). The message in this post is still there, I hope so.
*************************************

Giving

I was reading a poem posted by Kristine titled "We Cannot Give What We do Not Have".
Fragments of it goes as such:

How can we give love when all that emanates within is hatred?
How can we expect care when all we know is to antagonize and criticize?
How can we give trust when all that we do is to doubt?
How can we give happiness when selfishness is all that we have in our hearts?
Give love and you will receive love.
Give hate and hatred is what you will reap.

Quite true. Alas, Wondering and expecting people to like us when we don't even want to smile, when we always talk bad about others or do not trust another.. is like throwing a stone into a basin full of water, expecting the water not to splash onto your face.

Having someone wonder where you are when you don’t come home at night is what I need...

Forgiveness

Forgiveness means letting go of the past..
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There are times when words of a loved one hurts you so much that you can still hear it ringing in your eyes. The betrayal of a friend still upsets you. The scolding of a boss seems so harsh at times. Sometimes you can still feel the hurt as if it was only yesterday. Everyone has been hurt sometimes by someone.

Try letting go of the hurt. Keeping a grudge would only keep the hurt burning and alive. It's like rubbing salt into an old wound. It just stings all the more.

It does sounds impossible to just forget a hurt that someone has done to you. It's not easy at all. It would mean to forget your right to hurt back someone the way that they hurt you in the past.

Forgive and only then you can move on with your life.

Give and Take

Everyone wants happiness and nobody wants pain
But
You cannot make a rainbow without a little rain..
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Juneita's note last Sunday goes as such:
'Very often in our lives, few things touch us and move us because it does not happen directly to us. We might watch or read the news about a big flood that destroyed provisions, houses and separate family members from each others. We feel sorry for them, we send some cash or clothes. Then we turned the pages and move on with our lives.'

How true, Juneita.
When horrible things happen to others, we give advise, we sympathize and sometimes wonder why the person inflected with the problem cannot think of ways to solve them. Sometimes, we even think that if we are in the person's shoes, we would certainly tackle the problems better than them. We give them a pat on the back, and say 'Do not be so depressed, there are others whose burden are heavier than yours'.

(How I hate that sentence. Those that have not been tested, would not know nor understand how it feels when your world crashes on top of your head. To not know where to find the fund or to find solution to the problem. Or to lose everything that means to you)

Yes, we could imagine how they feel. We can say that we will be well prepared when the time comes. Yet, when disaster strikes you or your family, you are still uncertain of what to do. And at that time, action is needed more than words.

In cases of emotional emergency, we might never be ready. But in cases of natural disasters, death, sickness, we can be prepared and help those around us to be prepared for it too. How? Remember how your mum used to do it? By giving supporting roles to the kids in daily life.

Maybe that's it. Going back to the basics..building a closely knit family units. Start by teaching the eldest to mind and care for the younger siblings. Learn to get the children to take interest in helping to prepare dinner when you are cooking. Give them a list of uncles or aunties to call in times of emergencies. It always help to have an older person to be with them in time of need.

For those that do not have families or relatives nearby, for single mothers who had had to raise their children on their own and others on their own, close friends and neighbors would be a substitute for non existing relatives. After years of struggling singularly to carry the burden, maybe it's time to to accept the fact that we do need others as others need us. A family unit, a neighborhood community, a caring society.

At the end of the day, it's not only about asking help from another. But also about what we can do for others that needed our help. Maybe it's also about making life much better and nicer for everyone.