Friday, November 21, 2014

Andrew's anniversary and my wrist bands

I wear 2 bands together.
Yesterday at a meeting, they attracted attention.
A speaker said she noticed and thought to herself,
I was very artistic.
I told her that it why I wear 2, so people would notice.

Wearing two bands attracted people's attention,
Some ask me what I am wearing them for.
Wearing two bands attracted people's attention,
Some ask me what I am wearing them for.
I tell them that it is ok to grieve.
There is no time limit.

Today is Andrew's 25 anniversary.
He is forever in my heart.

Andrew's 25 anniversary

22 November 1989, the day Andrew grew wings and flew to heaven.

It's been 25 years, Andrew is always in my heart, the little boy.
Andrew's life had not been in vain.

We donated his tiny body for Science.

I only wish I had waited and taken a photo with Andrew,
after they used his body as a learning too.
I was advised to say goodbye, because I might get upset with the cuts.

This photo was taken the day he was born.
We had already been told he was going to die.
So we were ready to let go of him,
He gave us 55 days to cherish and love him.

The doctors thanked us for him,
The nurse manager's last words were:
On behalf of the hospital,
I thank you for him.

Finally, I am philosophical,
I wrote my first book on him.
Without him, I would not have become a writer.,

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Farewell Dennis Hii

Photo: In remembrance of our beloved Tai Chi master,
our Lau Peng Yu Dennis Hii 许忠仁 passed away on 15 Nov last Saturday.
So sad and shocking.
Cherish every moment we are together!

Today, I got news, that Dennis Hii had died.

His mum has become a bereaved mum,

Just like me.

Cry Mrs. Hii, Cry.

Dennis is special to me.

When I was teaching in Kai Chung,

Dennis was the house captain.

I was one of the house mistress.

I always remember this photo.

I went in 2013 for the class reunion,

Dennis remembered me.

How was I to know that would be our last.

For the loved ones,

Dennis left behind,

for his wife, for his children,

It's Ok to cry.

Sad,

When your student dies before you do.

Monday, November 17, 2014

I voted for Skylight.

Skylight trust circulates my book in their library. Please vote for them.

2015 Medibank Community Fund Grants

Medibank has shortlist 33 outstanding health and wellbeing programs that bring For Better Health to life for their local community.

Community projects for New Zealand

New Zealanders have the opportunity to decide which community wellbeing projects will win 2015 Medibank Community Fund (MCF) grants.
Five New Zealand projects from the Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch regions have been shortlisted to share in grants worth $600,000. For the first time, Kiwis can vote for the initiative they believe will be of most benefit to their community.

City MenzShed Supervision

Funding will enable City MenzShed to provide healthy living sessions for older and often isolated men in Wellington. With most participants suffering from some form of heart disease or other elderly afflictions that require healthier eating habits, the sessions encourage men to support each other to stay on track.

More information

Vote

7% of votes

Common Unity Koha Kitchen

The Common Unity Project Aoteroa aims to construct a purpose-built community cooking school for Epuni Primary School’s 90 students. The facility will increase food production of the school’s existing vegetable garden and orchard and feed the students daily as well as host other community activities.

More information

Vote

49% of votes

Garden to Table Trust

Building food literacy for the future – empowering and encouraging children to make informed choices around health, community and environment. Through a practical and engaging food literacy program for primary school children, Garden to Table Trust aims to provide students with skills and an understanding of healthy eating, so they can make informed choices and positive lifestyle choices in the future.

More information

Vote

4% of votes

Project Esther Trust: Music and Movement Classes

Funding will enable Project Esther Trust to continue music and movement classes which support women and their families at risk in the South West Christchurch area. The classes give mothers the opportunity to build relationships in a safe, positive and supportive environment.

More information

Vote

1% of votes

Skylight: Getting Stronger in Schools

Skylight has developed ‘Getting Strong’, a board game that helps children, young people and their families cope with grief, loss, trauma and change while encouraging openness and resilience. Funding will enable Skylight to bring the game to areas in Auckland that otherwise would not be able to afford it.

More information Vote 39% of votes

Skylight Trust

Today at 11:12 AM

You are receiving our Skylight newsletter because you signed up from website and/or purchased a Skylight product.

View this email in your browser

VOTE FOR US

and make a difference in young people's lives

Skylight applied for a Medibank Community Grant to donate our GETTING STRONGER GAME to 34 low decile schools in Auckland.

This year the decision of who will get the grant will be left to the public - isn't that great!!! Please vote for us. All you need to do is to push the green VOTE HERE button! This will take you to the landing page, where you have to pick NZ!

You will find Skylight at bottom of the page and you will need to confirm your vote with a second click!

Thank you for your kind support.

Your Skylight Team

VOTE HERE

Getting Stronger Game

The innovative board game is a ground-breaking resource which addresses the needs of the most vulnerable groups of children in our communities.

Click on the image to watch a video about the game and its advantages.

The game helps:

Build resilience in young people aged 8 - 14 years
Encourages them to open up and gently begin first conversations around sensitive topics

The game also addresses crucial issues like parental break up, bullying, anger management, coping with domestic violence, death, dealing with a family member with a mental illness, addiction, serious illness and injury. The topics are based on requests from NZ specialists for practical tools to genuinely help, encourage and support young people caught up in sensitive and difficult life situations. We also wish to provide the training for the professional/support person to use the game effectively.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

My friend Margareth Ang and her birds

Social media aka Facebook is an amazing thing. Margareth Ang was my facebook friend who became my friend in real life. She especially came to the restaurant in Kuching when I went back to Sarawak to launch my books.

She posted these two photos and gave me her permission to share it on Facebook and on this blog post. I told her why.

Your photos remind me of a personal story. Before I blog, I tell you. We were married 5 years before we had children, because my husband was doing his PhD. He was a professional student for 10 years. Towards the end, my daughter was born. He used the analogy of my daughter was like a little nestling with her mouth open. exactly like your nestlings. He forced himself to work hard and complete his thesis.

Thanks for the photo and nice reminder of an old story. My daughter will turn 30 in 3 weeks.

While there was so much joy when my daughter was born, I see the mother bird feeding the nestlings and sometimes the nestlings die. The mother bird becomes bereaved. On Saturday, November 22th is the 25th anniversary of my 3rd baby, Andrew. I too, becomes a mum with an empty nest.

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