My heart is aching as I draft this post. My beloved Grandma passed away peacefully last night on Friday the 13th...How I wish we lived in a world where we won't have to bear the the pain of losing a loved one! There was great outpouring of grief and among those present were primary school-going grandchildren like Dana and my nephew Caleb. Death is one of the hardest subjects to broach with children, especially when we are struggling to deal with our own deep sorrows. But death is also an … [Read more...]
In sickness and in health…living out your marriage vows
My grandma suffered a stroke on Sunday morning. What ensued were manic visits to the hospital, agonizing waits for battery of tests, scans and probes to the tiny frame that is my 88 year-old Teochew-speaking Ah Ma. A steady stream of family members rallied round her, hoping that our moral support and physical presence would do miracles to her recovery. In the 6 bedder ward where my Grandma was confined, there lie a Chinese lady (in her late 40s or early 50s), head half-shaven, being hooked up … [Read more...]
The strengths in our stars – helping your children discover themselves
"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name.” Isaiah 40:26 (NIV) Photo Credit “ Daddy, what’s special about me? Do I have talents?” the daughter asked. Now that the daughter has started Primary 1 proper, the entire family has made significant lifestyle changes to go to bed rather early. So imagine my surprise when I was asked the above question by the inquisitive daughter at bedtime … [Read more...]
Giving thanks for 2014…however imperfect it was…
I wanted to write a 'Year in Review' post last night but my heart was still reeling from the news of the Air Asia #QZ8501 tragedy. I grieve with those families who have suffered such painful personal losses - their loved ones snatched away from them in an instant, without any chance to say their last goodbyes. Just weeks ago, we've also stood with a couple who buried their baby girl due to SIDS. It breaks my heart to see my Grandma getting frailer and reduced to bones on our weekly visits, … [Read more...]
2 Funerals and a Darn Good Movie – Reflections and Hope of a Regular Dad
In many ways, this is not the kind of December I’m used to – my wife and I just returned from a funeral, our second in this ‘festive’ month. To make matters worse, it was a child’s funeral – 14 month-old baby girl, who died suddenly in her sleep, leaving behind two very distraught parents. The first funeral which we attended was quite the contrast – one of an ailing but well-loved senior, beloved Dad to a friend we know. Whatever the circumstances, death has a way to stop us in our tracks. … [Read more...]
Guest Post at Focus on the Family Singapore: 2 Funerals and a Darn Good Movie
We contributed a guest post for Focus on the Family Blog in December 2014. Read the original article here. … [Read more...]
Doing our part for the BB-Share-a-Gift Donation Drive
I’ve never felt so helpless in quite awhile. Her front gate was unlocked and she beckoned me to come in. I thought it strange not to lock one’s front door but after I entered, what greeted me caught me by surprise. The old lady who warmly welcomed me in earlier was sitting on her hospital bed with both her legs amputated. Placed at a corner of her bed is her prosthetic leg. Her husband soon appeared from the next room in a wheelchair, himself with one leg amputated and the other badly … [Read more...]
Of Ghosts, Ghouls and Little Green Things: How the ‘other world’ changed my world…
Dedicated to the Blogfather, a friend and fellow Daddy whom I've the privilege of knowing through the realms of the ‘unseen’ world…in cyberspace. Source I never thought I would write about this. Until I was inspired by the Blogfather’s recent post where he recalled a hair-raising experience as part of the October ‘Season’s Greetings’. My father died when he was 44 and I was 13 (since we are on the topic, notice the ‘auspicious’ numbers – ‘4’ is never a good number for the Chinese and we all … [Read more...]
From Policies to Busy Bodies: When an Adopted Child is NOT a ‘Normal’ Child
Before we embarked on this adoption journey, we thought that the greatest hurdle was to convince ourselves that the child is ours. After all, there is no biological connection. But, you know what? That’s just hogwash – the moment we carried him in our arms, he is ours. In fact, in the short time span of 4 months, we have almost forgotten that he was adopted. Amazing isn’t it? All these worries about whether we can love the child as our own just dissipate into thin air. In every sense of the … [Read more...]
What’s in a name?
Recently, Angie and I had to look through the tons of books on our bookshelf to search for a rather important book that we have not seen (or used) for awhile (6 years to be precise). For the simple reason that we have just welcomed our baby boy and needed to look for a name for him. Initially, we couldn’t find the book. To make matters worse, we were given three days to decide on a name. Eventually we found it…but that was only the easy part. It’s common to read in magazines and tabloids … [Read more...]
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