A tale of three friends.

Does it really?  When I saw this, I wondered and it got me thinking. Are we where we are now because of what we did before?  Or is it pre-destined and everything that happens was supposed to happen.

I'm always curious about people who began from humble beginnings and then end up somewhere else so totally  opposite of where they came from or vice versa.

Often when I am travelling, I look at faces of people and I wonder where they were born and what they do for a living.  It's just something I did to pass my time.  When I see a family in a car or another face in a bus that has pulled alongside our bus or even when I'm in a plane, when people hardly look at each other, I browse the sea of faces, as they walk pass and I wonder.

When I used to travel every other weekend, the long journey often gave me plenty of time to think and now that I am retired, I've taken that habit to a whole new dimension which brings me to this tale.

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There were three women.  Each of them grew up in what was  known as notorious areas.  About 50 years ago, Tiong Nam (Chow Kit), Petaling Street (Chinatown) and Masjid India (Little India) were already places that people didn't hang around, alone, at night.  It was not considered safe.  Yet three women grew up in those areas respectively and came out of it unscathed by the 'dangers (drugs, gambling, prostitution etc)' that lurked behind every corner.  When people mention about the lily that grows out of mud and not being contaminated, I always think of the three women!

What did they do in order to end up in the same office when they were in their 40s?  What brought them, at about the same time of their lives, together?  Three friends with three years age difference separating the youngest, the middle one and the eldest.

Another co-incidence was that all three had two sons.  Their birthdays fell in March, April and May.  Physically, all three were different.  Emotionally, they bonded like blood sisters.

The strange thing is that if anybody looked at them and wondered where they had come from, no one would have guessed right. 

All three, in my opinion, were intelligent, loving and giving.  Despite the different exposure and upbringing, the three got on very well with each other.  Yes, there were some moments when any two of the three didn't see eye to eye but that rarely lasted long.

The friendship thrived during those years and eventually each went their separate ways.

For me, it is an amazing tale of three friends with dissimilar backgrounds, that destiny brought together.  Three different women who became friends.  Good friends, I should add.

Life is truly interesting and amazing.  Unplanned and unexpected but altogether making for an incredible tale.  For me, this was one of them. 

  

A Milestone in my Family

Pic from www.verybestquotes.com

There are four us: three sisters and one brother that make up our family.  I acknowledge that I also have two half brothers, but that's another story. 

For most of my childhood, my father was away working in Singapore, Australia and Vietnam.  Hence, it was my mom who took care of us till we were teens.  By that time, we had all already found our own paths.  For this reason, we were rarely together.  

Our early twenties saw us spread all over.  One in Hong Kong, the other in Penang, leaving the two younger ones in different parts of Kuala Lumpur. All of us were married before the twenties were over.

Our thirties were tumultuous.  All of us went through life-changing moments.  If I remember correctly, two were in Penang and two were in Kuala Lumpur.  Despite not meeting often, we stayed close to each other.  We weren't physically in touch but we remained very much involved in each other's lives.

The forties were the years of settling down.  My sisters were up north in Penang and my brother was mostly down south in Johore.  Yet we still stayed connected, thanks to modern technology.  All of us began finding our niches and digging our feet in for the long haul.  Our children were growing up and we watch them interacting with each other as we had done before.  

The fifties!  My sisters are in Penang, my brother is back in Kuala Lumpur and I am in Singapore. It's a milestone because the baby of our family has finally crossed this line on 10 February (the first day of the Lunar New Year) and he now joins his three sisters in the 50s club.  It had always been his joke to call us the "oldies" and claiming he was still in his forties.  Now he's one of us.  *smug look on my face*.

I wonder what it is like for my mom, who will be seventy-eight this year; to see all her children reach this half a century age.  What does she feel? I must ask her.  

I did a quick calculation to see how old I would be when my son turns fifty.  Heh heh heh! It seems to be in the distant future.  However, time flies and just as these last years have gone by so quickly, I know that soon that day will be here.  I must remember to make each day count. 

It is a nice feeling to know that all four of us have reached the mark of half a centenarian.  It makes me happy but a little sad when I think of all those who have lost a sibling.

I spoke to my brother this morning and I plan to call my sisters later.  I am sure it will be a nice surprise.  I just want to let them know that it is a blessing to be in each other's lives. 

I know this post is a little late but with Chinese New Year and all the other stuff going on, I didn't get to finish it.  

Unknowingly, we ushered in the Lunar New year, with a milestone, for this family who are ALL over 50!  Now that we know, it'll make 2013 special for all of us.

For my sisters (Esmeralda and Lourdez) and my brother (Antonio), I send them loving wishes for a year to be filled to abundance with all that their heart desires.