beauty
love
joy
peace
faithfulness
gentleness
patience
self-control
(1) The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Let it come in. We think we dont deserve love, we think
if we let it in we'll become too soft. But a wise man called Levine said it right. Love is the only rational act. (2) Sometimes, in the mornings, that's when i mourn. I feel around my body,
I move my fingers and my hands--whatever I can still move-- and I mourn for what I've lost. I mourn the slow, insidious way in which I am dying. But then, i stop. I give myself a good cry if
i need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. YOU. (3) The culture doesnt encourage us to think about regrets until you're about to die. We're so wrapped up with
egotistical things, career, family, having enough money--trillions of little acts just to keep going. We dont have the habit to stand back and look at our lives "Is this all I want?" You need
someone to probe you in that direction. It doesnt happen automatically. I have found my teacher. Have you found yours? (4) Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live. Listen to that bird
on your shoulder, if you accept that you can die at any time, you might not be as ambitious as you are. (5) Love each other or perish. Family-- nothing else can give you spiritual security. Not
money, not fame. (6) Learn to detach. Dont cling to things, because everything is impermanent. Let the experience penetrate you fully. That's how you are able to leave it. If you dont allow yourself
to go all the way through them, you can never get to being detached. You're too busy being afraid, afraid of pain, grief and vulnerability. Throw yourself into these emotions. Dive in, all the way.
Then, you will know what the emotions are, and detach. (7) You have to find what's good and true and beautiful in your life as it is now. Looking back makes you competitive. And age, is not
competitive. How can I be envious of where you are--when I've been there myself? (8) Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community and people around you, create something
that gives you meaning. Do the kinds of things that come from the heart. When you do, you wont be dissatified, envious and longing for someone else's things. On the contrary, you'll be overwhelmed
with what comes back. (9) Love is how you stay alive, even after you are gone.Think of my voice and I will be there. (10) Respect, compromise and talk openly. Have a common set of values in life with
your partner. (11) The biggest defect we human beings have is our short-sightedness. Invest in the human family. Invest in those you love and who love you. In the beginning of life, when we were infants,
we need others to survive, right? At the end of life, you need others to survive right? (12) Forgive yourself. Forgive others. Tears are okay. Life is a tension of opposites. (13) As long as we can love
each other, and remember, the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. Death ends a life, not a rlnship. (14) I love you, Coach. He had finally made me cry.
Above-- excerpts fr Tuesdays with Morrie... (My entries, links and tagboard are in that order -> respectively.)
//-->
Friday, August 26, 2005
Bak kut teh night.. Joanne came over with the bak kut teh that she made.. =) cause she knew i loved to drink soups.. so she made it. :) what a fantabulous friend.. i got a fantastic godgran and a fantabulous fren.. who makes me bak kut teh.. how i wish she was my boyfriend.. cause i had a rough week, and she knew tt i was going to have a stream of exams, she made me soup.. makes me think of my mum... cause mum does tt..
the hkers having a birthday party downstairs.. for someone's birthday.. makes me think.. am i lucky that i have my birthday during Dec or what? cause during Dec, i know of people who aint going back Sg.. Joanne is not going back, and i prob wont see her at all alr.. esp after she grad.. Adrian is not going back.. Joyce might have her missionary trip.. dun even know if it will be nice to have/spend my birthday here.. its like, a small grp of friends, celebrating it for you.. its like, you're in a foreign land, but you feel the warmth... or you're back in Sg and no one is back.. cause for me, since 18th birthday, after JC Prom night.. and the whole load of dressing up and looking pretty.. (i thought other than my wedding which will not occur in the near future, i looked the prettiest then.. whahaha)... i had not a decent birthday.. like a decent one.. spent the last 19th birthday with someone whom i never kept in contact with after i left for australia.. n my 20th birthday, i dont get to spend it with pp i want to spend it with... :( shangz prob have plans for esmee that night.. twin cant spend it with me.. cause last yr, she had to go Finland for hols w her parents.. Dunno if JH will be free.. Lionel most prob wont go if the rest wont go.. Kenzy (Kenneth) got his gf to worry about.. sigh.. though i know my sisters will always always be there for me.. dunno lar.. i see pp having birthday now.. i v envious.. december kids.. sianz. i see how the rest of them celeb their birthday here.. all v nice..
i wanted to plan my 20th n 21st birthday to be huge. come to think of it, it wont be huge now.. no one's free.. remembering me asking u all if you all are free on my birthday? nah, wont happen alr. though i will be heading HK after my 20th birthday, to spend some time w PK.. thought of spending birthday alone sucks.. maybe i shld do my disppearing thing this time.. like disappear on my birthday forever until i feel like celeb it.. :) go on a holiday, backpack alone or sth. Good idea.. cause i mus say, not everyone gets to spend my birthday with me.. i am rather choosy.. i rather spend it alone than spend it with someone i dont like to spend it with.. spending it alone wont ruin it.. spending it with someone i dont like spending it with, RUINS it..
birthday is jus another day.. i will spend it honouring my mum.. for (1) tolerating 9mths of big huge tummy.. (2) i was a difficult n premature kid, therefore, she mus have suffered more during birth.. (3) withstanding the pain of natural birth b4 opting C-section for me. (4) for tolerating me the last 20yrs, though i spent like 4mths in Sg only this yr. (5) loving me for who i am.. no matter what.. (6) sheltering me..
i said it alr.. i am not shy to declare my love for my family.. thanks mum!!
*brena*; timed 7:52 PM