Tuesday, September 13, 2005

That's What Friends Are For...











To many people... friends are for a reason! For some people I have met, friends are the means to more business contacts. What are friends really for?

In the last two years, I saw many changes in my friendships with my closest friends. We weathered the storms by the skin of our teeth. There were some days I wondered if the storm will ever end... There are days when I thought were just glory days and wished to God that they would not end!

But all things change over time especially people... we are all growing at different stages in our lives... sometimes we say the things that hurt people inadvertently... sometimes we forget about drawing boundaries and keeping a distance to give space. Many times, we take each other for granted, thinking that they will always be there for us. To me, friends are like library books... we chose them because they interest us. Their personalities fascinate us... the longer we spend reading them, the more we find that they have their life stories to tell... and their lives mirror our struggles in our own lives. But at times, when the time is up, we have to give them up. So that others may enjoy their company too. If we are selfish and we keep them for ourselves, we will find the consequences to be quite a heavy fine on our emotional well being.

We cannot hold on to good friends... they may be here for a reason or a season. I have learnt to set them free... at the time that God is leading them away. Friends are not meant to be possessions... they are God's gifts to us to remind us how much He loves us and knows our needs for companionship. The irony is if you let them go, they will become your friends for a lifetime.

Today is my birthday. Today commemorates a very special day for me! I have had 3 very special presents - Discovered the meaning of a fulfilling friendship, the joy of having a sister and the magnitude of forgiveness. I also learnt the importance of giving and receiving love!

Thank you for listening to my story... I hope it has enriched you in some ways. Remember God knows exactly what you need in a friend. He will show you who he/she is and you will be so thankful for His thoughtfulness. Do not despair when there are misunderstandings or misconstrued situations, just offer everything up to God and He will make everything right!

He did just that for me in my story! I can testify that He kept me safe in a crazy world...


You keep me flying
You keep me smiling
You keep me safe in a crazy world
You understand me
Embrace my fragility
You keep me safe in a crazy world
And in your arms I find the strength to believe in me again

"Safe in a Crazy World" by Corrinne May, 2003




Saturday, September 03, 2005

Poem: Her Invisible Rain

When the air is still and the hour is late,
She sits quietly in a dark corner of her rumpled bed.
In the background, the radio plays a soft but soulful tune …
A silent stream flows down her right cheek.
Invisible rain some people call it…
For no one has been allowed to see.

It is when a woman’s heart is utterly broken,
When her soul is diseased with loneliness,
When her mind is so encumbered with everyday worries,
When she has lost every single shred of hope,
And when she longs for a future that perpetually eludes her…
That is when you will sense her cry in silence!

But you will never see her cry…
For she hides all that pain deep within her.
In her own space, she releases that pain
Shattering her fragile spirit into a million pieces
Like internal volcanic eruptions
Like silent torrential rains… like waves of flood waters.
The painful encounter is felt over and over again…
How can men ever hope to understand it?

And if by pure chance, she allows you into this space of hers…
She must have accepted your existence in her life,
To ever permit you to see her in that vulnerable state.
Rejoice, rejoice in this revelation and be thankful…
But if you take for granted or scorn this delicate moment,
It shall be gone forever… then you will never see her cry
And you shall never truly know her.

Written by momoko (6.7.2000)


Specially dedicated to all women who cry silent tears,
and written for all men who find it hard to understand women.

Poem: Squirrel On the Move


Once I saw a squirrel walking
Across the road his tail a-bobbing ,
One step, a hop and a skip.
Brown bushy tail with a graceful flip
Once embarked on this frightful adventure
No turning back for this daring road-dasher

Oh how he took his time
Was he contemplating his crime?
Just a few more leaps
A new tree-home for keeps
But what if he did not make it
Would it be worth this feat?

Any hesitation now would be fatal
Moving forward was vital
Zipping through the bustle
The ongoing traffic, oh what a hassle!
Two steps, three hops and a skip…
Safe from the danger in a mighty leap!

(28.5.2004)

I actually saw a squirrel cross the busy road just outside the YMCA Orchard.
I was shocked as I didn’t think he/she would survive this journey.
But squirrels are real survivors… this one was exceptional!