Our Elderly

Old Chinese saying, elderly is precious.  They have got experience, they know about life and they survive all the ups and downs that life threw onto them.  Surviving life for so long should gain our respects for them in addition to the fact that they are the elderly i.e. parents and/or grandparents.  

From my observation, however, being the elderly in the family is such a dilemma.  For Chinese, normally parents stay with their son and family.  Normally they get their own room.  If it's double storey house, downstair small room normally would be their choice of room.  Climbing up stairs would be too burdening to the knees and hips.  

They get their own ROOM.  Imagine that.  They need to 'compress' everything that they have worked on, their precious belongings into that small room.  The room ends up being so packed that the ventilation is not ideal, hence, leading to many health issues.  High blood pressure is the most common example.  

Worse is yet to come in my opinion.  When their son has family, he too has his own set of rules at home.  Being parents, they are no longer the leaders of the family.  Now they're under the son's family rule, which they have to obey.  Imagine that.  It's like you are being stripped off your personality that you have built your entire life.  Honestly, elderly under this situation will be depressed and didn't know how to live a life anymore.  Imagine the stress they are under.  At least that's my opinion.  

There is one Chinese saying, that elderly behaves like child.  Yes, I agree that our brain cells do die everyday.  When we get old, we definitely will not be as sharp as when we were young.  My question is, who speeds up the process of this 'reversal' of the 'growing' process?  

Growing old is not an easy process.  To be filial and respectful to our elderly is not as simple as giving them a shelter and a bed and money to spend.  We need to reach out to their hearts in order to make them happy and not feeling lonely.  I'm sure in one way they are scared and worried about death and to be departed with the world they are so used to and people they love.  

So, I beg all who read this article, think again how you treat your elderly.  Look inside your own heart and reach out to others.

Tears are flowing down my eyes uncontrollably writing this last sentence.  I wish my parents will live long enough.  I'm not ready yet.  Just like I wasn't ready for my 2 sisters.  

Miri & My Life !!!

It's been full 2 years since I came back to Miri.  At the beginning, I was so busy with work.  Subsequently, my second sister fell sick, we were all under such stress only those who experienced it could imagine.  And she passed away eventually.  I was depressed again.

Well, could it be good to be depressed?  My opinion is, it could be, unless you yourself realised that you are depressed.  I guess I'm just glad that I'm not stupid.  So what I did?  I started to explore life again after 4 years of 'immobility', explore Miri, explore many many things.  I don't want to stay depressed.  My life is too precious for that.  I knew it by losing 2 beloved sisters and also I nearly lost my life because of supernatural 'matter'.  Maybe I was a bit exaggerating, but it was the truth.  

I met new friends.  We learn from each other, see life in different perspective.  In my life, there are many 'hole' that I need to fill up (things that I need to learn in case you don't  understand).  Through friends, I slowly fill the holes up and make me a better man day by day.  I'm not aiming to become a Saint, but at least I can live a noble life with dignity at my own expectation.  

I promise, I'll live a good life, live it my way.  Like I always say, life is too short, live to the fullest.  I really wish I can do it, walk the talk man !!!