Our Significance

Dear Diary,

As I listen to the older songs of Enya, it just flooded my mind of years ago. I was once a university undergraduate but now very much in the workforce and wondering where does it all lead to. I am not sure if I will stay in the “business, marketing and sales” world for long. I realise that I actually enjoy counselling people, lending a listening ear, managing people’s health... Anyway, I managed to find a “sponsor” who will provide me the glucometer and the test strips. I also managed to source from a friend to help me buy an aneroid sphygmomanometer at close to cost price! Yay! Once I get those blood glucose monitor and the blood pressure set, I may just bring it along when I go visiting the elderly in Redhill subsequently or any other charity work. I hope I can still make a difference to people’s lives with the education I had. People still ring me up for advice quite frequently. In fact, a staff nurse rang me up for some advice this morning because she had some mild rashes on her face and wanted quick resolution as the Chinese New Year looms. After ruling out perioral dermatitis, I recommended a mild hydrocortisone 0.5% cream to reduce the inflammation and asked her to stop applying make-up temporarily and to use a non-soap cleanser. I meant... I am still more “medical” than “business” really. =P

About a fortnight ago, I was walking along the tunnel leading from CityLink to the Esplanade. There along the walls, was a heart-wrenching series of photographs with subtitles. It was an exhibition titled “Days of My Father” by Briton, Phillip Toledano. It had an intensely powerful storyline, starkly depicting a truth which most of us would conveniently avoid. In that story, the author spoke of his struggle to make sense of his father’s gradual loss of memory (dementia) and their remaining time together after his mother passed away. In fact, its ending was just sad. Now, when I look at the elderly around now, I see the young handsome intelligent man or the youthful beautiful graceful girl they once were. I am also reminded that we should cherish our parents while we can. The world suddenly looks so helpless.

Last Sunday evening, I went down to Chinatown with a sister and my parents. The old man who plays the er-hu (traditional Chinese musical instrument) every year at the junction of the road, is still there. The decorations and the festivities seemed lacking but I felt as if the past and present stood on a balance... on a knife’s edge. It is hard to describe but the visual almost seems to whisper to me, “Live a life worth living. Make a difference in your neighbours’ lives.” We are aging whether we care to acknowledge or not. Let us make use of our time wisely.

While many Christians eagerly anticipate the Parousia, I do not. Not because I don’t love God or His Son... neither is it because I am unsure of my salvation... but rather, I am ashamed that we are handing back to God a world so devastated by our self-centredness and our lack of neighbourly concerns and love. Many spend their lives and time on this Earth, chasing the wind, chasing the futile, ignoring the needy. Guess what... I am one of them. Just as lost. Maybe I know the solution theoretically but will I ever put it into practice? I pray I do. Hope we, the twenty-plus years-old young adults, live a life we can look back with no regrets. May God’s love to us be a guide on how we should love others.

The Chinese New Year is just 3 days later. Do give the new year a fresh start and make it a special one.

God Bless,

Andrew