the price of love - take 3

Deep down inside each and every one of us lies an innate power to do things for another person. Some things that can be beyond explanation, sometimes even silly and sometimes just really impossible to imagine. What I am referring to really is the ability of us human beings to care for someone else. Actually if you think about it, all living beings on this planet show the innate ability to care for one another.

It's amazing how one person can show so much care to another person without requiring a reason. I definitely admire those who are able to care for another person selflessly. I may not know my ability to care for another person but I know I'd give it a good shot in caring for someone I love - parents, siblings, girlfriend. Personally, I think the will to care for another person will come naturally like the rainbow after a rainy day.

I think inside us resides a little vault of emotions that entwines itself to form a chemistry of emotions that manifests itself as a plethora of feelings - tolerance, empathy, concern, etc. Some say it's the warmth that you feel in your every heart beat. I think the warmth is called, "love".

A four letter word that speaks for itself universally.

A four letter that carries a very unique price tag.

A price tag any of us can afford. In fact, it's so affordable it doesn't even cost a dime!

You don't need to do anything to receive love because it is something given freely to you and me by another person willingly!

Ask yourself this - if you loved someone you would willingly show concern, care for the other person and treat that person respectfully, right? I know I would.

The best part is, love can come in all shapes and sizes! As small as tiny gesture of holding one's pinky finger, a small 'miss you' sms, a peck on the cheek to as large as a great big hug!

Isn't love a wonderful thing?

the price of love ~ take 2

It was a normal day for Dee. Got off work about 7pm, leaving the office to walk to the nearest bus stop that's about 15 minutes away from her workplace. Like every other day, it's a lonely walk to the bus stop, a lonely bus ride back to the bus stop near her apartment, a lonely 10 minute walk back to her apartment, opening the door to her lonely apartment.

Lonely would be a spot-on word to describe Dee. It's not that she wanted to have a lonely hermit-like life but Dee was a shy person, not very good at socializing and simply found it easier to keep to herself. Finding social acceptance was an issue for Dee.

It didn't really bother her as she has grown used to the quiet lifestyle of her's. It wasn't a life she dreaded and she read a lot of books to past the time.

There was one Monday, it was almost like every other working day for Dee but not until it started to rain. The bus stop was 15 minutes away and walking to the bus stop without and umbrella would have been a sure fire way to fall sick. Sadly, office was closed and Dee had to squeeze into the small shade that protruded above the entrance of the office entrance.

As she waited, barely able to stay dry, looking up into the sky to see if the rain would yield, suddenly she heard a voice, "Excuse miss, my umbrella should be able to fit you in. It's a pretty big umbrella. Are you headed any where in specific because I am just walking towards the bus stop down the road," as he pointed towards the direction of the bus stop Dee wanted to head to too.

Dee saw this decently dress guy in working attire carrying a laptop bag and the umbrella.

"I am headed to the same bus stop as you too. Forgetful me left my umbrella at home."

Dee accepted his offer to share the umbrella and they headed towards the bus stop.

"I am Matt. Sorry if startled you back there."

"Oh, no worries. It's great you passed by. The rain doesn't look like it's going to let up. I am Dee. Nice meeting you and thanks for offering to share the umbrella."

"You are welcome, when I saw you standing it that sad looking shade I figured you could use some umbrella space, especially the bus stop being quite a distance."

"Thanks.... really appreciate it. Are you new around here? I have never seen you around this area before."

"I've just been hired by the company down the road about 10 doors down from your office."

They eventually reached the bus stop and coincidentally sat on the same bus for, coincidentally the same destination. Matt stayed in the same apartment as Dee but on a different block.

Dee was kind of excited meeting a new person. It was a new experience to her.

From that day on, Dee and Matt went to work together, got off work together, had dinner together before heading to back home. As the days pass by, Matt and Dee became very close friends - a close bond began to form between them.

As the bond between Matt and Dee grew, feelings for each other became more than just friends. It felt like they knew each from some other time, maybe their past lives or maybe from an old forgotten childhood friendship. It was difficult to explain what they felt for each other but one thing was certain - Dee had feelings for Matt and likewise.

These days, if you hang around Dee's office, you'll always see Matt and Dee walking hand in hand to the bus stop.

All it cost Matt to fall in love with Dee - a simply invitation to share his umbrella during a rainy day.

All it cost Dee to fall in love with Matt - a simply "yes" to an invitation to share an umbrella during a rainy day.

Isn't the price of love simply unique?

the price of love ~ take 1

Ever wondered if love came with a price tag? Little Mikey did.

Little Mikey was a curious little boy. His inquisitiveness has led him to many experiences, although some not so admirable like the time he once ate an earth worm simply Nat Geo said it was edible.

Little Mikey was a little different from other 5 year olds. Little Mikey was born an orphan, having been left in front of church one Saturday night without any form of identification. He was less fortunate in that he never really got a chance to feel what it was to have parents or even have siblings around him.

So everyday when he walks himself to kindergarten one block away from the orphanage he lives in, he constantly wonders what it's like to have a mother and father. He quietly observes all his peers going to kindergarten with either their mom or dad beside them. Mikey really wanted to know if it ever felt different having a mom and dad, and he really wanted to know if there was anyway to experience it.

One evening while watching the television at the orphanage, he came across a television advertisement. It was pet shop advertisement, "Feeling lonely? Need a furry friend? Buy yourself some love today and get yourself a dog!"

After witnessing the commercial, little Mikey scurried back to his room and took out his piggy bank. He emptied the piggy bank full of coins into his two little hands and walked out to look for the orphanage caretaker, Peggy.

"Peggy, Peggy, the tv said I could buy love. Is this enough to buy some mommy daddy love?", little Mikey looked up to Peggy with both his hands filled with coins.

Peggy looked at Mikey.......

"Mikey, you can't buy love"

"But the tv said I could!"

"Mikey, love isn't something you or I can buy because you don't need money to buy love. Love is free. I love you Mikey. I may not be your mother and I don't need to be your mother to love you. All of you in this orphanage are my little children I love."

"But you don't walk me to school..."

"Silly Mikey..... You should have told me. Mikey boy, loving you doesn't only mean walking you to school. It means caring for you, making sure you have a clean bed rid of bed buggies for you to sleep on, making sure you have sweet dreams when you sleep every night, making sure you have your favourite cereals in the morning. Love is about making sure little Mikey today becomes big, tall and handsome Mikey in the years to come. There's no price to love you!"

Isn't love simply great?

it's in the palm

Jo has a really funny habit. At any part of the day, there will be a time when you will definitely catch him taking a look at his palm. Rumour has it that he's been doing it for ages - years apparently. I can't confirm how long has he been having this habit because I have never asked him. It really is a peculiar habit because there are times when you see him taking a glimpse of his palm and you would almost certainly catch a smile drawn on his face.

Those who didn't know him well would probably be thinking he has one screw loose too many in his head. But it was a little secret Jo carries. Jo always had something written on his palm - sentences, quotes, words of encouragement, little captions. It was his energizing mantra, apparently. At least that's what he told me.

I found his practice very peculiar, to say the very least. There were two things I asked him about his palm practice:

1. Why the palm?

2. Does it really help?

His answer to my first question:-

"I wanted an easy and quick reference point. What better way than to write it on my palm? I mean seriously, your hands are the mostly seen parts of your body. You do stuff with your hands and that means you'd be looking at your hands most of the time. Another reason why I chose my palm was that I didn't want to be carrying little notebooks or flash cards around. Just too troublesome! By writing it on my palm, I just flip my hand over and I get a quick read of whatever I have written on it."

His answer to my second question:

"It does help for me! I can't say the same for you or anyone else since all of us are different but it really does work for me. Every time I take a glance at my palm I feel rejuvenated. It's like a friendly reminder to myself . Imagine it as a Post-It Note that follows me everywhere I go and every time I need to remind myself I just flip my hand I see it on my palm. Simply convenient for me.

Another reason why I chose to write it on my palm is that I as inspired by the saying, 'it's in your hand'. I guess it's a good way to tell myself that everything is achievable and it's all in my hands as long as I reach out to grab it."

Might be something worth trying. ;0)

White Book~

When I was in school years ago, each classroom had something called a Red Book. That Red Book was a very special book. It was a dreaded piece of binded paper because of one thing and one thing only - it was a book used by my teachers to record down names of those caught misbehaving in class and at the end of each week that book goes to the disciplinary teacher. Those names recorded in there will then get their weekly share of punishment, either canning or community service (i.e. community service in an all-boy school basically means cleaning the school toilet!).

Ya know, this leads me to one conclusion - people are remembered more for the bad they have done rather than good.

The Red Book is a very good example of how we are so engrossed in pinning down those who falter. I am not saying the Red Book method of disciplining was wrong, in fact I find it rather effective in reminding us to behave ourselves.

I decided to create a little book in my mind. Let's call it the White Book for simplicity! This little White Book in head is a book that records down all the good about people I know. After all, I realised that I value people for their good and not for their bad. If I don't value the bad part of someone, why bother even trying to remember them. Wouldn't it be better to just know the good in someone?

At the end of the day, no matter who we meet with the exception of God (if you get a chance to meet him, chances are you are dead), there will always be the good and bad side of that person. It's not about the good or the bad outweighing each other but it's about knowing someone for what they are good for!

Do you have a little White Book?

It don't take much....

There will be times when you and I find ourselves in a life's pinch. I guess it's the way life was designed by God - to have surprises, little and big ones thrown at us at a certain point in our lives. Can I say it's God's test for us? Can I say it's God's way of telling us something? Don't think you and I will ever know why God does such things. Some people say things that happen in our lives are fated.

Either way, some surprises can be really worrying and at times, painful. Especially if it relates to your loved ones. My dad recently had an operation and it was really stressful in terms of running in and out the hospital after work and sometimes in between work to make sure he's fine. Despite knowing that he's in the hands of a very good doctor, there's always the worry in the back of my head not knowing if everything will be alright.

I have friends who have had similar experiences. Some more severe, some not as severe but the physical and mental stress is definitely a commonality in such experiences.

It's easy to stand back and watch everything unfold but it's not nice to see anyone close to you in a pinch, and it's only natural for us to try to lend a hand. But there are times when we are simply too distant to lend a hand and being an observer is the only thing we can do.

Over the weekend, I found that sometimes, even observers can make a difference for those stuck in a bad situation. Little words of encouragement or even funny lines can put a smile on a tired face after a long day. I found even I could do it - as in me, known to be not much of a talker and sure as hell not much of a joker (I think).

It's not really nice to know that someone you care for is in a pinch and knowing that there isn't much you can do makes it all the worse. Giving some form of support can make a whole lot of difference and it doesn't take much. One insignificant sms to many could be a power pill for someone in need of a good word of encouragement, a pat on the back, a nice hug, a pat on the head, a tummy rub (for those who have tummies), a little hair scruffle........... All these are small actions that don't take much but can mean a lot to someone... :)