Ahh, much better. Having shared my views on Valentine’s Day with the bogosphere, my mind is clear and my heart is open.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!! Happy Chinese New Year!! Here’s to a day of family (reunion dinners or phonecalls or skype as the case may be), red, ang paos, food and rest. So, put down the iron and step away from the vaccuum.
Mum and Dad are in Perth, my brother C is in Canada (yee ha – he gets to see the Games) and the baby brother H is in England this year. Mum and Dad are spending the day with my Aunty C and Uncle T as well as R’s parents. Will be calling Perth later today.
My Dad is the best dad ever. He never forgets birthdays and special occasions and has taken to sending short notes to mark the event. He’s a GP and has a bewildering array of note paper and sticky notes. As you can from the note above, the writing is Dad’s and he tactfully put Mum first in the signature area.
When we were kids, Dad would bring home all this stuff for my brothers and I and the stationery would be pretty popular with the other kids at school tool. It was Dad who really fostered my interest in reading and writing.
Mum has taught me so many things as well. I could sum it up as ‘being a good person’. She has taught (and keeps teaching!!) me about what it means to be fair, sensible, generous, supportive and objective. It’s a fine balance. Sometimes striving to be a better person by achieving more academically and socially can be a single minded affair – selfishness rears its head, bitchiness becomes the weapon of choice. My mum seemed to rise above it. She didn’t get too involved with the mothers’ gossip networks but somehow seemed to be ‘in the know’ anyhow.
It’s one of those things about getting older, I find I look back more to my childhood and wonder how my parents did what they did for the 3 of us kids. They both worked to put us through private schools and established themselves financially. We were well provided for and I know this is subjective but we were not spoiled with material possessions. It was more the being able to study and pursue various hobbies and interests. Even now, my mum and dad are always asking if they can help. Us kids have relocated, taken on post grad training etc etc and our parents have always been there with emotional and financial support.
Mum and dad often say that their proudest achievement was raising the three of us. They are in no need of help from us yet are so appreciative of the small things we do for them.
I am geting a little teary just typing this – hope macbooks are water resistant. My hope for this year is that they continue to have good health and good fortune. That life will smile kindly upon them and bless them in ways only God can,