All With Good Intention

Parents have high expectation of their children. They want their children to have the best of their education.

I am not different. Though I have completed my degree level education, I desire all my children to excel better. To me, we will never realize our potential until we make the best of our ability.

And so we take good care of our children, particularly their education. We send them to the best of school where they can learn from the best teachers. We make sure they have the best of friends. We consult everyone and everywhere to get them to the best tuition class. We also spend much time and effort to teach and educate them ourselves.

All with good intention, though sometimes we do act selfishly or have private motives, and we make use of the common saying, "It's for your own good, trust me."

Yes, we also give them freedom and choice. They can have what they want, as long as it doesn't interfere with their study. They can do what they want, as long as their academic performances and achievements continue to be high.

Yes, they do have their privacy and confidentiality. We don't interfere in their little secrets. They can have their private rooms, keep their personal things, and withhold their own secrets from us.

But then there is always the moment of truth.......

When thing does not work out the way we want, there must be some examination and evaluation. Somehow someone will have to bear the blames.

We are not perfect and we cannot expect others to be perfect. But there are always rooms for corrections and improvements for everyone.

And so we share, we teach and learn, realizing that all good things will come out of them. And so we continue to have the pains and pleasures of growing up and growing together.

Forgive us parents, if we have hurt you children........

Forgive us children, if we have hurt you parents........

It is all with good intention.

And so the family grows and changes for the better.......

The children continue to chase after their many dreams.......

The parents continue to see and help when necessary........

All with good intention.

And when they come together during festive seasons and special days for celebration, they have joy inexpressible, laughter with tears, emotional closeness and security, love and tender care.......

All with good intention.......

They are one, and will remain as one, in the family.

A Young Man's Dream

I was sipping a cup of coffee in an eatery shop when I heard a voice coming from behind.

"Teacher, do you still remember me?"

I turned to my back and saw a familiar face.

I think I know him. He was definitely an ex-student of my school, I quietly told myself.

I tried to think harder but I just couldn't remember his name. And I couldn't remember teaching him either. But I had definitely talked to him before, and had also given him some counsel. Was it during relief classes? Or casual chatting along the school corridors? Or was it during the sport meets? I couldn't remember. But I definitely knew him. He looked very familiar.

"Yeah, I do remember you. You must be my student." Confidently I told him while pointing at him. Then I shook his hands, squeezed a little as I normally did to all my friends.

I examined him while patting his left shoulder. He was tall, dark and handsome, and rather muscular with big palms. He reminded me of my younger days when I was working in a hardware shop cutting aluminium sheets and carrying bags of nuts and bolts. But he definitely looked stronger, darker, and fitter.

He gave me a broad and confidently smile in return. But he looked stern with penetrating eyes. This young man had the look of a seasoned warrior. He might have been working very hard in difficult places, I told myself. But I could see a tint of sadness in his eyes, like those who were tired of wandering in far away places.

He told me that he had been working in Singapore for two years and now he was back for good. He was taking over this eatery outlet from his mother. He had just got married and it was good to start a family business instead of roaming aimlessly around streets and corners.

I made a survey of the eatery shop. I remembered it as a quiet corner shop. But it was always teeming with customers. Business here must have been good.

I examined the young man again. This young man had an ambitious look, definitely farsighted, full of energy and seemed to me rather thoughtful young man. He must have great visions and goals. It might have been his tough, outdoor and physically demanding job in Singapore.

The young man told me about his intention to buy the shop instead of renting it. But the present owner was unwilling to sell.

I took a good look at him. He looked very sincere. He was definitely not joking. Deep in my heart, I was very pleased with this young people.

I looked at my children. I hoped they could learned from this young man. It was not easy for a young man to start a business venture. But this young man braved himself and took up the challenge.

No more careless spending, no more half-hearted working, no more mumbling and complaining........ Time to work hard for the family. Time to provide for the needs of everyone in the family.

I returned to my coffee and enjoyed myself seeing the big crowd coming and going. The shop was really packed with people. There were some customers waiting outside for their turn. Business was really good.

I slowly enjoyed eating my roasted chicken rice, peeping at the young man who continued to give his full attention entertaining his customers. Yeah, this young man could go far. I told myself.

Then the young man came and patted me from behind.

"Teacher, this meal is on me."

I looked at him, really pleased and thanked him with a rather broad smile. Wow! The young man was awesome. He knew just how to draw his customers back to him. I quietly told myself to come again. No...no.... not for the free meal. This young man knew something. He knew how to throw a longer line to catch a bigger fish. Yeah, he would definitely go far.

It was a good day and a good meal, and I enjoyed every single moment of it.

I had seen a young man of great vision........

I had seen a young man of great mission........

And I had seen a young man of great determination........

.......Very single-minded, single-hearted, single-sighted, single-willed.......

Yeah! He would definitely go far.

Bravo, my friend. Well done.

Happy Valentine's Day

The joy of coming together sometime somewhere can be both invigorating and stimulating.

The moment when we draw near one another.....

...With the meeting of the eyes,

...the spontaneous emotional smiles,

...the touching and shaking of hands,

...the feeling of each other's presence,

...and those caring looks and talks,

...and those moments of quiet closeness.......

...is something that we don't want to miss...

...is something that we treasure always...

...and is something that we bring into our sleeps.

*******

And so is Valentine's Day when first time lovers come together....

And so is Valentine's Day for seasoned lovers who care very much for one another....

Not forgetting young couples who enjoy romantic candle light dinner....

Or parents who enjoy holding hands and staring lovingly at one another....

Or age old grandparents with their toothless smiles and unbridled laughter....

Or how about those beautiful moments when everyone in the family come together......for Chinese New Year.... for the Lord' Day on the 14th February 2010.......

*******

And so as we come together with our loved ones....

That moment of closeness....

That moment of happiness....

That moment of blessedness...

That moment of tender care...

That moment of pure love, perfect understanding, and self-sacrifice.......

...is beyond comprehension and comparison.......

Happy Valentine's Day... to everyone.......

Whatever happens, don't miss it.

Put it in a right perspective, make full use of it....

... And you surely won't regret it.

Moving About In A Sea Of Strangers

Being ordinary is immensely beautiful and full of bliss; it's beyond our imagination.

Moving around a place filled with strangers can be fun and entertaining.

And that is why so many of us quietly move to distant or remote places to enjoy mother nature with its landscapes, mountains, rivers, sunsets, lakes, cliffs, flowers and animals.

And so many spend our leisure times busy walking around shopping malls, restaurants, boutiques or other points of interest, frenziedly spending money.

*******

All of us are busy with our own lives, ever keeping pace with our desire and expectation, and always thinking of leaving our footprints and fingerprints everywhere for others to follow when we are gone.

Everyone is preoccupied, concentrating on what they enjoy knowing, thinking, perceiving, doing, valuing, seeing, reading, watching, wanting, reviewing, desiring, loving.......

No one seems to care about others' presence or absence, movements or actions, sayings or doings, shouting or screaming, crying or laughing.......

Everyone is a stranger to one another.

No one seems to mind if we talk, mumble, grumble, smile, laugh, whistle, cry or scream......

No one wants to care if we make a little more noise, try to whistle through broken front teeth, blow air bubbles, sing a little sunshine song or hum a sad sad tune......

Everyone has their own agendas and key priorities.

And so everyone moves, has their being, and has a great time with their own life.

Happiness is not measured by how much we have got, but how much we can enjoy what we have.

It really doesn't matter how much we have to live well, but rather what we do well while we are still alive.

*******

Chinese New Year 2010 was around the corner.

My family and I were happily shopping in a city hypermarket.

There was an ocean of people, squeezing, pushing, standing, shouting to one another over their shopping lists.......

And the children with their usual games, plays, and amusements.......

Goods of all kinds, shapes, types, sizes, and varieties were stacking up high and low, over the entire surface of the floors.

I was slowly following my wife and my youngest daughter, pulling and pushing the trolley to maneuver my way through thick traffic faster.

More and more goods were stacked up in the trolley.......Shopping was relatively smooth and easy today.

I was happily smiling away, hoping to get away from it soon.

But then I realized something strange - I had not spoken to anyone, except for occasionally discussions with my wife and daughter over the choice of goods we had bought.... Yah, not even a simple nod, a business smile, some common gestures or a shaking of the head to anyone around........

But it seemed so peaceful, so rested, so blissfully unaware, so undisturbed and pure........

Everything seemed so wonderfully smooth, sweet and exciting.

No one seemed to know my present, not even among those I knew very well and had a long chatting history.

Everyone was busy shopping with their family for the coming festival.

Everyone was having a long list of items of things to buy..... scouting and walking around the racks and shelves...... looking up and down, high and low....... sometimes stooping, bending, squatting and kneeling... frenziedly searching for the things they direly needed.

And so here I was, in a sea of strangers.......

*******

And that is the joy inexpressible, inconceivable, indescribable, and unforgettable.......

....Moving about in a sea of strangers.

Have Love Will Travel

A Tortoise agreed to a foot race with a Rabbit.

The Rabbit ran fast and looked back where the Tortoise was.

"It's definitely no match," the Rabbit said to itself.

The Rabbit continued to run, but taking some sweet time doing something else.

The Tortoise walked slowly and carefully.

A Snail appeared.

The Tortoise said to the Snail, "Hop on my back. I will give you a lift."

Then an Ant appeared.

The Tortoise said to the Ant, "Hop on my back. I will give you a lift."

The Snail told the Ant, "Hold tight. This Tortoise runs very fast."

.........................

*******

A young boy was on his own running to a shopping mall.

The father followed closely behind, holding his cigarette.

The mother was carefully helping and supporting her mother-in-law who was 80 years old.

They were a distant apart from the young boy and his father.

The young boy grumbled, so was the father.

*******

The young boy was very inquisitive and curious about life.

He wanted to discover fast and find easy solutions to everything he learned.

The father was deep in thoughts, with many dreams and visions and goals for himself and his family.

Knowledge and wisdom wouldn't wait that long....

Fame and celebrity status were at hand....

Opportunity came.... and went in no time.......

Wealth and riches came.... but slipped away so easily....

The notions of self-determination, self-regulation, self-organization, self-empowerment, self-sacrifice, self-sufficiency, self-satisfaction, self-serving, self-pleasing, self-appreciation, self-defense, self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-actualization...... seemed so commonplace to his understanding of the universe and they occupy so very much of him....

The mother was deeply concerned about her family.

She loved the son and was happy how he had grown.

She loved her husband who worked very hard for the family.

She loved her mother-in-law who was now old.

She was married for the welfare of her family.

*******

The old woman died....

They all cried....

The old woman died with tears of smile... she had a wonderful daughter-in-law.

The young mother cried, with tears of satisfaction in her eyes... she had taken good care of the mother.

The young father cried, with tears of the remembrances and regrets.... he had not spent many moments and events with his own mother.

The young boy cried, with tears of sadness and anger.... he lost part of his wonderful supporting system.

*******

The young mother had many sweet dreams of her mother-in-law....

The young father had many nightmares and bad dreams, filled with his regret and inexpiable guilt at his treatment of his own mother....

The young boy had many sleepless nights, wanting and waiting for the wonderful stories and tales of his grandmother.

*******

The Rabbit reached his destination and won the race.

Not many people clapped.

The Tortoise came at last with the Snail and the Ant.

Everyone, including the Rabbit, cheered, yelled, screamed, applauded, whistled, waved....

Then the celebration and the happy endings.

*******

The Tortoise went home satisfied and contented.

... for helping the Rabbit wins the race.......

... for helping the Snail and the Ant in needs.......

... for helping others to see the simple truth in everyday life.......

America's Got Talent.......

America's Also Got LOVE.......

"Have Love Will Travel" - Isn't it?

P/S The old woman was my late mother... and I miss her........