Hello everyone! I just came back from Aussie last night and each time I go, I never fail to bring back learnings and gain lotsa experiences!
Let me share with you this personal story…
.
.
A *relative of mine (not naming who) migrated to Sydney many years back and I only get to see him whenever I visit Australia (so I travel there often). In 2005, we all rushed back to Sydney upon receiving a shocking piece of news from *, he’d gotten an unknown virus which left him half paralyzed, he couldn’t speak, walk or behave like a normal person anymore. Hence, he has got to re-learn his speech, go for physiotherapy and stay in the hospice for life.
.
When I first met him when he’d gotten the virus (2005), he couldn’t express himself at all and he grew very impatient and agitated over his condition. His right side of his body was COLD, and the left side was warm. Meaning that, he couldn’t move his right side of his body at all! All of us were terribly upset upon seeing him in such state and afraid that he would give up.
.
Fortunately for Sydney’s beautiful volunteers who took turns to look after him and gave him continuous encouragement, he became optimistic about life and he finally acknowledge his condition and faced reality. We’ve been visiting him every year and just last week when I saw him, I was overwhelmed.
He was progressing very fast, although he needs to take some time to form the words before speaking, he was able to deliver his speech well, despite the slutterings and long pauses, he’ll repeat and repeat the sentence until he gets it right. To me, he was very remarkable! He doesn’t want to depend on wheelchair, hence if it takes the whole day to reach the kitchen or elsewhere, he would DO his best, grab firmly on the support and slowly shift his leg, wobble and stop, till he reaches his goal.
Last Saturday, I had dinner with my aunt (uncle’s sister) in her bungalow on Blue Mountains, they told me that it was not a virus afterall…
.
.
He has got Aids and Brain cancer on his left brain.
.
Therefore causing his to be paralyzed on the right side and his body to be physically weak and shrinking, growing blisters everywhere. He has to stay in Australia as the weather there is best for him (minimal humidity and very cooling even in the summer as long as he is under the shade).
He kept begging to return to Singapore and they told him, its totally impossible. Because even if we allow, the Singapore customs will surely object and his body cannot tolerate the heat here, his skin will burn and tear, opening up his blisters and he will be in great pain. He only has got a few years left.
My mom convinced him that when he’s better, she will bring him back, but we all know its impossible. But guess what he said?
“I will get better, I want to go home and live with everyone of you. Wait for me, I will get well soon.”
He never gives up, does he? (:
.
.
What I was trying to convey in this story is that, we all have got our pasts, be it a fortunate one or unfortunate one. Its our life, we live it. Even for today (present), lets make every today a fulfilling one and be determined to make each day even better! The future is in our hands, nobody but ourselves, can determine what kind of life you want to live.
.
.
What will you do if you have only a year to live?
Give up on yourself and count down till your death?
or
would you rather be spending time with the ones you loved, making each day a jubilent one, creating joy and happiness to and with the people around you, be filled with laughters and be grateful with each day you are living?
.
.
I was introduced by my colleagues to watch this video. As inspiring as it can be, there are more meanings to the tears and each passing day in the show.
Log on to youtube, search for “1 litre of tears” and start watching today!
26/03/2009 at 12:48 pm Permalink
Stories that touched us, will be those that are close to our hearts. Not the stories that filled our hearts with emotions, are the people in the stories that are close to our heart that will leave an impression. I couldn’t feel like you feel. That’s why i need imagination to put myself into the shoes of you, the shoes of him, in order to understand the strength that he had, the pain that he went through, the challenge that he faced.
We learn from Life daily, some lessons are small, which we occasionally neglect them. And as a result, we are hit by a sledge hammer by Life itself.
Let’s start using empathy in us to understand lessons from Life seriously for every little things that are presented to us.
Life is a miracle by itself!