Who Stole My January?

The world flew by just like that. As good as at the snap of a finger. We're into the second month of O-Nine and before we know it, another quarter gone...

What have I done? What have I achieved? What's in the coming months?

I've been rather emotionally stirred up the last few weeks, because someone I don't know personally, lost her life to cancer. OK, if you think I'm crackin' up and wondering why I even bother if I don't know this person... hear me out. I've been reading about Shin whenever I have a little bit of time in hand, and have been following her progress on her battle with cancer. She's one feisty woman who's totally lived life to the fullest, even though she knew it was going to be short. And I guess the most touching part for me was, that she took all the time she had left (which was about 3 years from the time she was diagnosed with the disease to her last days in Jan this year), to plan ahead for her two children, who's only 6 and 3. She's even bought little gifts that were to be presented to them through their lives as they are growing up... things that they could physically touch, feel, and remember her by.

She's even written a final letter to all her friends, that was read out at her memorial service. And something from there that tugged at my heartstrings; was this that she said, "Losing people you care about and the thought of never, ever seeing them again, or hugging them, or hearing them laugh is heart-breaking. Trust me, I know. You’re only losing ONE of me. I’m losing ALL of you."

I wished my parents had talked to me the way Shin & Tony had explained to their kids about cancer and the reality of death that came with it. Then perhaps I would have made more of a conscious effort to spend quality time with my dad.. to create memories that would have stayed with me after his depart. Don't get me wrong, I've had wonderful memories with him... just wished there were more for the keeps.

I guess we humans would never learn to treasure what we have until we lose it. No matter how much we like to tell and remind ourselves to do so...