Last day of 2013

And so it happened that I woke up before 7 am on the last day of 2013. I've been sleeping late almost every night and waking up late as well. 

This morning I think I was awake at about 5 am but didn't get out of bed immediately. I just laid there with my eyes closed and thinking of how wonderful it is to have my husband and son under the same roof this time.

We aren't always together. We won't always be together so I cherish the moments like this. All is well in my world today. 

2014 looks very promising. There is so much to look forward to. I cannot be more contented than now. Anyway, for those who take the time to visit my blog, here's my wish for you!

May you always find peace, joy and love everyday.

Pic from Pinterest

Anniversary

Pic from FB

Having had the flu and about a week of rest has left me with plenty of time doing nothing but to think of everything.

And everything for me usually revolves around my life with Stephen.  

After all that's been said and done, it just boils down to the fact that we make a great team.  

Pic from FB

We aren't like two peas in a pod.  We're different in so many ways. If you look at us from afar, we'd seem like an unlikely match. Yet, those who know us will acknowledge that we give marriage a good name.  *toot toot*.  Okay, I was tooting my own horn there!

What keeps us together is not a secret!  What keeps us together is our strong faith in God, our deep love for Jared and, of course, genuine respect for each other.

An anniversary should never be about the number of years. Besides, I hardly remember my life before him and I'm so glad for another year of being together.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Here's a mini tribute to our recent years!

Love grows best in little houses.

Pic from FB

It's never been my dream to have a big house.  Maybe when I was very young, I might have thought of being a princess and living in a palace.  However, as I became older, I found that it is not the size of the home that matters.  I'm glad there are other like-minded people and  I am not alone. 

Until today, I still frown when people say I live in a 2-room apartment in Singapore.  For so long, I misunderstood what it actually meant until I found out that the living room was counted as a room!!!!

In KL, we have 3 bedrooms and it has never occurred to me to say that we have a 4-room apartment because it would give the impression that there are 4 bedrooms!  All these years when I have told Singaporeans that my KL place has 3 rooms, they must have thought I meant 2 bedrooms and 1 living room.  

For the life of me I cannot understand why Singapore has perpetuated this strange concept.  Wouldn't it be just as simple not to count the living room?  Maybe someone can educate me on the background of this idea!!!

How do they do this in other countries?  Do they say 4 rooms when they really mean 3 bedrooms and 1 living room?

I love my Singapore home even if it has only one bedroom. Everything is compact and within easy reach.  Cleaning is super easy and it's a no-fuss kind of place.

I'm not, or rather, Stephen and I are not the types where you must not do anything else but eat on the dining table.  We do whatever we want because for us, it's a multipurpose area.  It works as our desk and also as a computer table, sometimes!

I know that some people would be horrified and think that this mishmash kind of living will seem the end of a civilised life.  *guffaws*

Isn't life easier when you think outside the box?

Isn't life easier when you live happy?

I like to think that it is.

Yes, we have a small home but it's where love grows best!

Doing it all over again

Pic from FB

It's been years since I had to look after a child.  Child here meaning someone below twelve years of age.

Thankfully, it's much like riding a bicycle.  One never forgets. The motherly instincts kick in and everything moves on auto-pilot.  

Stephen and I had the pleasure and the joy of having a ten-year old boy with us for two weeks. 

It was planned and unplanned.  We had expected him to be with us this December but we hadn't fixed the date.  Some events shifted his visit to the end of November but it worked out well for us.

Stephen loves children and they all love him back, with the same intensity.  Josef is no exception.  Watching them act, react and interact was more fun than I thought possible.  

Here are some picture collages of his stay.  We must have taken over a 1000 shots with our HPs, Tab, iPad and camera!  LOL

Of course, the highlight of the trip was spending a whole day at Universal Studios.  For that day, I'm doing a youtube clip but for now, these selected pictures tell their own story.

Saying goodbye

The world is reeling from the deaths of the handsome Paul Walker and, of course, the anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela.

People die all the time but some deaths affect us more than others. 

If we knew the person, then we share the grief with all the other loved ones. 

If we knew of the person, then we share the loss of that life.

Some have an untimely death while others die in their old age. Some who are seemingly healthy also slip away unexpectedly.

My Aunt Lucy passed away recently.  She was unwell for a long time and her death was not really a shock as she was in and out of the hospital.  Yet hearing about her death was like a blunt force trauma to my heart.  I had not expected to be so sad when I heard the news.

It is never easy to think of a life that is over.  It's even harder looking back at the numerous chances not taken to show that I loved and cared for her.  She was a pillar of strength for me during a very difficult phase in my life.  It is obvious that she will be one of those who did something for me that I cannot ever repay.

Many times I think that eulogies are prepared with selective memories.  People choose to remember the good things because it's the right thing to do.  Often I would be shocked by my own thoughts when they clash with what I hear.  I know, I know.  It's the way it should be and we celebrate the goodness and all that. However I believe that keeping it real would be a far better legacy to the deceased.

In the case of Aunt Lucy, I sat listening  to everything her daughter said and I was conscious that I didn't have any secret thoughts of disagreement at all.  No exaggeration and no embellishment made it the best eulogy I have ever heard.

Looking back at all that travelling to and fro, of more than 1200 km, over four days, I have no regret.  It was a trip worth making.

I didn't really say goodbye to Aunt Lucy.  For me, she lives on in her five children.  They are blessed to have had such a wonderful mom.

Belated Birthday Love

Pic from FB

This was meant to go out on 20 November for Stephen.  It was his birthday but I was away attending a funeral in Perak.  

I'm only now catching up with my blog as I had been busy making memories since I returned to Singapore.  It was unplanned but it became like a gift for Stephen to have a ten-year old boy for two weeks with us.  I shall be sharing about this soon.

Anyway, while I was away and Stephen was alone, Greg, our Godson sent him this whatsapp message, which I found very touching.

Grossepa, I think it's very nice and 

very thoughtful of you to let Godma go, 

even on your birthday...  Respect...God bless you.

It's such a simple message but it speaks volumes about both of them.  The younger one recognising a gracious act of kindness while the older was showing unselfish love and compassion.

It was not easy to choose where to be but Stephen decided for me by saying that being with my family during their bereavement took precedence over everything else.  

In hindsight, he was right and it was the better decision for me to leave him alone.  At our age, everyday is a celebration and even when we aren't together, it really makes no difference to us.  

Better late than never they say, so this is my belated birthday declaration of love.