Her

To the world, she was just one human being. But to me, she was a beautiful soul who took care of me in my childhood.

To the world, she was an unmarried woman who lived by herself. But to me, she was a caring and compassionate grandma.

To the world, she had no one. But to me, she always had me.

My tears are falling down writing this knowing you left the world for eternity.

I am sorry for not visiting you a lot. I am sorry for visiting late this morning. I know you’re soul is still here.

Let me commemorate your beautiful life here. I’ll cherish every memory I had with you.

Remember the day when we got soaked in the rain and we made steamed buns together. It’s such a warm memory. I won’t forget that.

Remember on one Christmas, you told me that Santa Claus was real. I believed that and told my friends that Santa Claus gave me gifts. They laughed at me. Soon I knew that you were the one who put those gifts in secret while I was sleeping. I didn’t thank you enough. Thank you so much. I learned compassion from that. I can’t never forget that.

Remember how you loved cheese so much so I joked that I would buy you a cheese factory.

You had been the one who remembered my birthday before my parents. The one with no child, but giving me indescribable love.

Thank you for everything. This world has been so hard on you. God has prepared you a beautiful home. No more pain. You won’t be lonely.

See you when I see you, Tante Rita 👋👋

A Funny World

What a funny world?

As children, we roleplayed as adults. Wearing our parents’ clothes and shoes, building a house with whatever around us, and having a family with our friend, cooking leaves and pretending to eat it. 😁

As children, we didn’t care about time. Minutes and hours were too hard to imagine so we spent the time without even looking at the clock. The only thing we would count the minutes was when we were waiting for our favourite cartoon to play.

As children, we just followed our parents’ life. Obeyed them without asking. Trusted them that we would somehow arrived at our destination for whatever conditions.

As children, we thought that life was difficult when our parents forbad us to play overtime. When we needed to sleep whereas we wanted to be still awake. When we fought over toys with our siblings. When we needed to wake up early to prepare for school. When we didn’t get a present on our birthday.

Then, now as adults. What a funny world..

How we pretend to be mature and understand everything.

As adults, we also roleplay several characters. The calm one, the professional one, the strong one, the kind one, the passionate one, the detail one, the creative one, the helpful one.

What a funny world.

As adults, we also spend time without looking at our watch. We may look at it but just to make sure that we can waste it more.

What a funny world.

As adults, we also obey not our parents but our bosses and rules. Like them or not, we have to obey. Don’t like it? Well, no negotiation 😆

What a funny world.

As adult, everything becomes difficult. From little things to big things. Waking up in the morning seems harder when we are adults. Dealing with people who have different personalities seems so difficult. Having me-time seems to be the most difficult time to find. Asking questions that you really need the answers seems not easy to tell.

What a funny world.

The question is ‘Do we really grow up?’

Yes, we grow up in a funny world.

So,

Laugh about it..

Take it easy..

Everything is gonna be fine..

It may be hard for now, but learn to enjoy it. A day will pass, a month will pass, a year will pass, a decade will surely pass.

Enjoy it..

What a funny world 😅

#selfreminder

I’m back from the slump

Feeling down, sad, exhausted, drained is something common to happen. The funny thing is I tried so many ways to overcome it. Spiritual routines, writing, sharing with friends, being very talkative to very quiet.

I treat myself too bad. Sometimes too spoiling, other times too hard on myself.

However, I am back from my slump.

Getting ready to fight for more. Stronger than I never thought, I could be.

Believe it or not, I just continued writing this draft after two years. What has happened in two years? I know myself more; what thing can bring me back to the slump and what thing can bring me back to life. Avoid one thing and purse another thing.

I can’t pinpoint what exactly I did. What I understand is many people are struggling the same thing; being in the slump. Exhausted mentally and physically. I can’t wear your shoes and vice versa.

I’d like to tell you that it’s really okay to feel that. Feeling the pain, the worry, the fear, the numb-ness, the lost, the anger, etc. Express them all, choose the way that hurt yourself and others less.

Talk about it to one person.

Write them down, don’t share them on your status cause it can create a greater damage.

Record your own voice and listen to it the next day.

Go out and break your routine.

Try new things that you long to do. It can be your childhood dream or a thing you wish you could do.

Let this day become a reminder that I survive. And you do, you will.. 😇

The Eagle’s Wish

Once, there was a farmer who owned three animals to deliver milk to his neighborhood. A horse, a buffalo, and an eagle did errands every day. The horse was in charge of delivering one big container of milk to the farthest house in the neighborhood. The buffalo was in charge of delivering two big containers of milk to the nearest neighborhood. The eagle was in charge of delivering one bottle of milk to the house on the top of the hill.

As the time flew, the animals were tired of the errands. The eagle was the one who complained the most. ‘Why do I have the most difficult errand?’ asked the eagle to the farmer. The farmer answered, ‘Do you? I thought it’s the best of what you can bear.’ The eagle answered, ‘Do you know how difficult it is for me to deliver a bottle of milk to the house on the top of the hill every day? I dropped the bottles several times. It’s too cold in the morning and too hot in the afternoon. Why don’t you assign the horse or the buffalo? They are much stronger than me.’

Shocked by the complaints, the farmer said, ‘I chose you because you can fly so you can reach the house sooner than the other two. Since I know that it’s a hard way, I assign you just one bottle, not a big container. However, if you don’t feel satisfied by your work, you can ask God to take one skill you have.’

The eagle prayed to God, ‘God, my work is too much for me. I wish I could be just like the other animals. Please, take one skill for me so that I can work just like the others.’
God answered the prayer and took one skill from the eagle which was his wings.
Now, the eagle had no wings. No wings, no flying. He was just like the other animals: the horse and the buffalo.

The next morning, the farmer called the three animals. The buffalo was ready to deliver two big containers of milk and the horse was ready to deliver one big container of milk.

When it was the eagle’s turn, the farmer asked the eagle, ‘Oh now you have no wings so how much milk can you deliver now?’

The eagle was confused about what to answer.

-the end-

Be careful what you wish for …

WHEN THE WORK SEEMS TO BE ENDLESS AND HARD
WHEN IT SEEMS IT’S ALWAYS YOU
WHEN IT SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO
REMEMBER,
YOU ARE CHOSEN BECAUSE YOU CAN
AND YOU ARE EQUIPPED BY HIS GRACE

#childrenstory5 #afriendlyreminder

A Body with Ten Hands

Here is a story of a body with ten hands:

It is such a beautiful morning. All the body parts do their jobs. The lips shape a smile. The brain feels happy because of the ten hands the body has. 

This morning, they need to do an important job which is cooking. They need to prepare 30 lunch boxes of sushi.

The brain starts to think about where to start. The brain instructs the eyes to read the recipe and instructs the hands:

1. to search the recipe on google

2. to take notes

3. to prepare the ingredients, as well as the equipment

The other body parts do their regular job(s). 

The whole body works together.

At first the brain thinks, “Everything is under control and we can finish this soon because the ten hands can do it altogether faster.” The brain instructs 5 hands to prepare the seaweeds, rice, and cut the filings at the same time. 

Suddenly, one hand accidentally cuts another hand while the rest of the hands are still doing their jobs as instructed. This hand starts bleeding. The mouth shouts spontaneously because of the pain. 

‘It isn’t gonna work,” the brain thinks. 

The brain is so busy instructing one hand to put a bandage on the cut hand and asking the other hands to stop working to wait for the next instructions. The brain instructs the hands one by one. The instructions sound endless. 

Besides, the legs are busy moving from one place to another place to get the hands’ work done. The heart starts beating faster because the body moves too much. The rest of the body parts cannot catch up with the brain and the hands. 

The brain finally instructs the hands and the legs to stop moving.

At that moment, the eyes shed tears because of the pain and the exhaustion. 

-the end-

Everything needs a BALANCE. You and your attitude are to balance a team. There is always a reason why it’s just you or 2 or 3 or more of you who do a certain job. Don’t envy, instead support each other. 

#childrenstory4

The King with a Thousand Faces

Once upon a time, there lived a king who ruled a big country. None of the commoners ever met him. He stayed in his palace all the time.

An innocent boy happened to pass the front gate of the palace and wanted to know about the king. He asked some guards who were guarding.

“What does the king look like?” asked the boy.

One of the guards answered, “The king has got a big body and a loud voice”. This answer didn’t satisfy the boy.

Then he saw some female servants who served royal meals for the king. He stopped them to ask the same question.

The servants smiled and said, “The king has sharp eyes and has a sensitive palate”. This answer didn’t satisfy him either.

He tried to find someone who had ever seen the king closer. He tried to find other servants who helped the king get dressed. He happened to see a male servant who trimmed the king’s beard.

He said, “The king looks young and always talks gently”.

The more people he met, the more confused he was with their answers.

The innocent boy couldn’t figure out what the king actually looked like.

Big?

Handsome?

Young?

Sensitive?

Loud?

Gentle?

The boy gave up upon the idea of finding the answer.

He was too young to understand that all the answers were correct.

The king looked big and had a loud voice because the guards served him from afar.

The king had sharp eyes and a sensitive palate because he was keen on what he was eating.

The king looked young and talked gently because the servant just trimmed his beard closely.

Any answer given was from the way they served the king and how the king treated them.

-the end-

Every person you meet will have his/her description of you. Treat any person the best you can anytime and anywhere. One person you meet once can say something either really bad or really good about you based on that one moment.

Some people you meet regularly can describe you clearly based on the same opinions of how you treat them every day.

LET’S MIND OUR ATTITUDE. YOU DON’T KNOW HOW MANY TIME YOU WILL MEET ‘THE PERSON’. IF IT’S JUST ONCE, YOU MAY LOSE THAT ONLY CHANCE TO INSPIRE HIM/HER.

#childrenstory3

An Ice Block

This is a story of an ice block who is confused to decide where he has to live. All his life, he has lived comfortably in the cold. He stays in the same shape and temperature. He never feels worried because he believes he will stay the same.

At one moment, he realizes that the Earth is getting hotter. He feels he is melting. He is getting smaller. He is upset and afraid of the condition. He wants to run away because he wants to stay in shape.

He travels around and finds that it is hotter anywhere on the Earth. He shouts, “I wanna stay just like this! I don’t want to disappear!”

Little does he realize that his surroundings may change. His shape may change as well.

However, he won’t disappear because…

he is still WATER.

-the end-

No matter how hard the situation around you is, YOU ARE YOU. Remember HE owns you. Your value won’t change. You won’t disappear and be forsaken.

YOU ARE WORTH IT!

#childrenstory2

A Girl without a Smile

Once there was a girl who never smiled. She was afraid to look at the mirror.

One day, she decided to travel to find a smile to put on her face.

She met a rose but the rose didn’t have any smile either. She continued walking.

Then, she met a flock of sheep, the girl approached them. “Baa..baa..baa..”. The girl wished that the sheep had smiles on their faces. But, the sheep just made sounds and didn’t smile. The girl was sad as she continued walking.

Finally, she met a clown. The clown had a smile on his face. She ran excitedly towards him. She wanted to see how the clown smiled. The girl put her hand and touched the clown’s face.

She sighed. It wasn’t a smile. It was just a make-up. 

She went home crying. No one out there could teach her how to smile or lend her a smile.

She looked at the mirror again and saw her crying face. She was more scared than before. She covered her face with her two hands. She couldn’t see the scary face of hers. She was a bit confused. She then pinched her cheeks, one to the left and the other to the right. She noticed that it looked like a smile. Feeling funny, she laughed at her own expression.

That’s the last thing she realized that it was a smile, a laughter. It was only herself who could make her smile. 

-the end-

Don’t seek happiness from others. You will find it within you. 

LET’S SMILE EVERYONE. 

#myfirstchildrenstory

My Name

Since I was little, I disliked my name quite much because my name was too common. I used to ask my mom and dad why they gave me the name ‘Kiki’ , to which they simply answered that it’s my sister’s wish. I disliked ‘Kiki’ because people often compared me to other Kiki(s) in my schools. Since I was in Junior High School to college, there were many Kiki(s) around.

I think that’s the starting point when I didn’t really like my name, myself. I was compared and was unhappy.

However, there was a time that changed my perspective. It was when I became a teacher, many students called my name ‘Ms Kiki’ cheerfully, knew me for Ms with-a-simple-name, thanked me for whatever I did and taught them. It gave me strength and I started to love my name, myself.

Loving ourselves starts from a very simple action. Love your name, your gender, your appearance, your status and your background knowledge.

#materialforspeech

Look Carefully

When you can’t see things to be grateful for, it means you don’t look carefully.

When your limbs are still attached,

When people still compliment you,

When your family and friends are still around you,

When you still have some money,

When you still have a job,

When you still feel various emotions,

When you still have time,

Be GRATEFUL 😊