Gratitude breeds strength and miracles in life

Gratitude quote (Pic source: Google.com)

On the last day attending my Uncle's funeral, an old man looking young, mighty, and bright, tall in height, came alone and walked towards the reception table with a white envelope on his hand. He dropped it into the donation box gently and filled up the reception book quietly.

I looked at his face and found it very familiar, as if I ever met him before. "I think I knew him. Who ah??? Couldn't be family member. But he's really looking very familiar. Dad's friend???" The thought kept running inside my head.

He looked around and decided to walk inside the room. True enough, he walked towards the direction where my dad was sitting down. As he passed by a narrow gap near where I sat, he walked and lowered his body down with a hand gesture, a body language known by Indonesians as, "Excuse me please," a very polite way to show.

The prayer to the decease was started. We were advised not to look at the coffin when it was being lifted and moved. So I decided to enter the same room and sit next to my dad. As I walked towards his direction, then my brain suddenly remembered on who the man was.

"Pa, Ko Asen ya??" I asked my dad and pointed my palm towards the man who sat beside him. It's better getting the confirmation from him rather than anyhow said.

"Iya," answered dad.

The guy looked at me and wondered how come I could recognise his name. I shook his hand immediately and told him my name and where I stayed. "Do you still remember me?" asked me.

"Oh... Ciao Ciao ya... Long time didn't see you, I could not recognise your face."

Grateful heart - magnet for miracles (Pic source: Google.com)

Suddenly he joined his both hands in front of his chest and shook it lightly towards me, "Si mung," he said. It was the Hakka dialect words meaning "Thank you."

"How have you been? You must be in good health now!!" exclaimed me excitingly upon the chance of meeting him again after so many years.

"He is very good now. 100% healthy!!!" My dad answered on his behalf excitingly too upon my reunion with him.

"Ciao Ciao is very good," he told my dad.

I was touched. He might not remember my face after so long, but he remembered how I treated him back then, when he visited Singapore with his wife to undergo chemotherapy.

That time my brother was not around so his house was empty. My dad informed me that his friend would stay there to undergo the chemotherapy and I, who held my brother's house key, received them upon their arrival and told them to treat the house as if theirs (explaining where they slept, where to eat, the surrounding area, etc.)

When I was free, I visited him and brought them some fruits so they could make juice from it (he could not eat solid food after the chemo, and his wife would usually make fruit juice for him), asked about his condition, and gave some encouragement and motivation to keep strong.

Every time I met them, both him and his wife always smiled despite the pain that he went through. I could see how grateful they were to be able to stay at my brother's house in times when they needed it. You would have known how expensive accommodation fare in Singapore and they would not only stay for few days but few weeks.

Be positive always!!! (Pic source: Google.com)

To be able to see him again, it was an immense pleasure for me. His fighting against cancer was successful. He was still the same person I met before, very humble, polite and soft spoken. He always showed his gratitude towards every little thing he received. I was very happy and I prayed to Buddha to grant him a continuous good health so that he could live his life happily, free from suffering, full of peace and joy in his life. Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu.

Life

What life is??? (Pic source: Google.com)

It's always a big question mark about what life is and how we supposed to live our life with. The birth day of someone can be the passing day of someone else. At the same very day, hour, minutes, and even seconds, happiness and grief can struck to the same person.

We all know, nothing lasts forever. Everything is subject to impermanence. And as long as we are still being born, we will always go through samsara or life's suffering.

We do things, contemplate, and learn the lessons. That's how we grow up. We encounter and go through life together with people, who we have fate in this very world.

Sometimes it just feels amazing to look back to where we were few decades ago. Some memory are still fresh and clear in our mind (be it good or bad), and some is purposely buried deep inside as if it's series of nightmares that we don't want to recall.

Relationship in families (Pic source: Google.com)

Relationship between families, friends, our loved ones are fragile. A slipped word can hurt anyone's feeling. Just like the paper that is being crumpled, hard to make it smooth again. The mark has already been there.

Some people talk harshly in appearance but deep inside they care a lot and love the person they deal with so much. It's just how they hide their feeling deep inside. But many who don't understand them, will think otherwise. Well, we can't control what others think about us, but at least, let's control and be aware of what we are doing.

Each being possesses different personalities, thinking, and behaviors. That what makes life interesting. The interactions among them are just like the movie we roll and watch when we get bored. Many hides their darkest secrets, hidden scenario at the back of their minds, that usually found before the end of their lives.

Enjoy life today as yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come (Pic source: Google.com)

Hmmmm.... life oh life... I can't get it sometimes. It just varies and too hard to grasp and understand. If we think too much about it, there will be no end. Just do what we think is right and follow what our heart is saying.  Leave the rest to nature and focus on the thing we believe to work out well with our way of living. May you find your life journey satisfactory and happy with it!!! In the end, we will only regret for the chance that we never take. So, live your life today as yesterday has gone, and tomorrow may never come...

Thank you and see you again...

The day we first met - Xiamen (Oct 2007)

I can't exactly remember when I first met you. It was love at first sight. It was chosen, given as a symbol of His love, to protect me wherever I go in whatever I do, and put in directly in front of me, face to face, and it'd became part of me thereafter.

You were mixed of personalities, colourful, clear, transparent, and opaque, complete with your imperfections with black dots at some parts, but yet clinged very well into my wrist and arm. It made me feeling safe, secure, accompanying my whole traveling and mundane life journey all over the world.

Your sound was loud and beautiful. Many recognised me from your sound. Even without the sight of me. You protected my bones, my skin, from those things I carelessly bumped into.

When you rubbed into my skin, they said you'd improve my blood circulation, making me always in good health, which I have always been feeling grateful with.

Until one day, when rain poured whole day, wetting the sea and sand, trees and flowers, shells and shelters. I walked hand-in-hand with my nephew on the block of wood. Little did I know that the green algae was on surface. It made the whole block slippery.

First, my nephew fell. I helped him getting up. Upon my next step, it was me who fell. As I fell, my left leg kicked the air. I felt it touched my nephew who fell down again for the second time. I felt pain in my butt as it hit that wood strongly. Amongst my unconsciousness, I was reflectively protecting my head from banging hard into the floor surface.

Thank you for being with me (Pic source: Google.com)

My first reaction was to check that my nephew was alright, especially his head. When I knew he was fine (he could even smile at me), I was relieved so much!!! Suddenly, I saw you lying helplessly, broken into two, with tears flowing on your eyes. Oh no!!! I'd hurt you accidentally. I'm sorry dear!!! I'm sorry...

People said that when you were broken when the owner was falling down, you'd sacrifice yourself to the owner's safety. It also a symbol to ward off the worse thing that was going to happen.

My first feeling knowing that you're gone was impermanence. That no matter how long we'd been together, no matter how we loved and felt comfortable with each other, one day one of us had to be separated, one of us had to die. I put you both together near to the block of wood where you sacrificed yourself and died. I left you there as someone came and immediately offered his hand to help me getting up. The rain was still pouring and it was getting heavier. We had to leave you there as we needed roof to protect us from the heavy rain.

Later on, when I returned back to get you, you'd already been gone. Someone might have thrown you into the bin. Haiz.... I felt sorry not to bury you properly or throw you into the sea to join the nature in a vast world. But you should know by heart that I always and will always feel grateful for your appearance in my life, for accompanying me for these past 10 years to wherever I go, in whatever I do, for keeping me safe and healthy, for your beautiful form and sound, for everything that you'd ever done to me. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!!!

Our last photo together (11th May 2017) - Leebong Island, Belitung, Indonesia 

I would never be able to see you again but you'd always be in my heart, in the memory of my brain. My love for you is real and boundless. May I see you again in my next life...

P.S. This post is written to commemorate my lovely jade bangle, gifted by dad, who bought it in a shop at Xiamen, China, almost ten years ago (Oct 2010) when we visited the country together. He put it directly into my wrist and decided to buy it for me immediately. Later on I always wore it with me day and night, 24 hours a day, until I slipped and fell down at Leebong Island, at Belitung, Indonesia (11th May 2017).