What's Life?

2nd aunt has passed away on 31st March 2008. Mum was there when she died and so were her youngest son, son-in-law, grandsons. Mum said she looks peaceful. That's a blessing. 二姨永別了! I'm sorry for not able to make that trip to Kuala Lumpur as promised as I unfortunately was down with a flu and in addition, we need to pick up the maid that we have employed over the weekend. On my next trip to KL, I will make pay you a visit.

Sad to say, only when certain events, like this, we are able to rekindle the ties of relatives and friends. I don't understand with so advance technology, why the frequency of contacting close kins has reduced drastically. Are we really so busy? Are we putting up in places that is so 'ulu' that we are not able to at least pick up a phone to dial?

When Mum comes home on 4th April, she brought along 细姨 who has recently recovered from cancer. Our house is filled with a bit of life and laughters. With 细姨 in Singapore, we get to visit 老Hero, 姨媽. I really feel ashamed that 姨媽 is staying around 10 bus stops away and that I did not bother to pay her a visit over the weekends?

Excuses that I can see or use would range from I have to work, I am unable to apply leave, I have no time, or I only have 2 rest days to run errands, maybe next week or week after next...

An email, "Enjoy Your Coffee" I have seen back in 2006 was circulated back to me recently. In it, it mentions "Live simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly."

It reminds me to start caring, especially to my close kins and friends.. I'll work on this..

Enjoy Your Coffee

A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor.

The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general...
Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups:porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, somequite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee.

When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering...''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones.While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves,that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems! "

He continued...''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups... Then you began eyeing each other's cups....''
''Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain Life,and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the qualityof the Life we live. Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee. Enjoy your coffee!''

The happiest people don't have the best of everything - they just make the best of everything they have... So please remember: Live simply.Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly.

And remember - the richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.