What is Life (Part II)....

Tues 251108

This time around it appears that my philosophical self is pushing his way out...and thus the same ole philosophical question of " What is Life... "

For newcomers to this Blog, I had put some of my thoughts about what life is in "What is Life? Do you ever wonder...", namely my entry dated Nov 5th 2007.

Well, this time around, me put that question to my other half. Her answer? Life is a struggle...
To her, from the moment we were born, we struggled to survive in this world...overcoming all obstacles we might meet along the way. Each person has his/her own means to go through life...to survive. Living each day. Passing each day. Even up till the moment before death, many still struggle to survive...those who succeed get to live a little bit longer. But, ultimately, we all die. We came with nothing and we will leave with nothing...

The difference between one human being and another is how they live while they struggle to live. The lucky ones would get to enjoy more of life than the less fortunate ones.

Lucky ones? To some, they would tell you there is no such thing as luck! That it is all hard work & sweat. Me? I don't believe so...cos some ppl are born with golden spoons in their mouths, as the saying goes. Their lives are pre-laid out for them...from birth to at least adulthood.

Some achieve success in all they attempt to do. Improving their lives & how they live, as time passes...although they might have started similarly as others. Luck? Or Fate? Even destiny?

To quote Shakespeare (pls correct me if wrong...TQ):

"Some are born great;
Some achieve greatness;
Some have greatness thrust upon them..."

Others, like me, had to really struggle through each phase of their lives. From the time I was in Form 1, my life had been a downhill affair. My education was possible through "charity" from various welfare depts., obtained through my mum's initiatives & perseverence. A long story to tell here. Also, my personal fear of cockroaches came from living in a roach-infested house! Thousands everywhere...even flying around at night!

I can still remember the nights that I had sat together with my mum in her employer's kitchen (she was working as a housekeeper then)...re-assuring her that I would provide her with a better life asap...and that kinda resulted in my choice of careers when I had 2 offers. The choice I finally made was partly because the other would mean my graduation 1 year later and my mum, at that time, told me she might not live to see me graduate. Luck? I see it more of fate...

Yup, we, of that generation, did think of our ageing parents...in my case, my surviving mother. Of providing, caring & looking after her. But do the kids of today even harbour any of those thoughts? Any thought of providing a better life for their parents? Thinking of their needs? Or even just caring for them? Thinking of how they are doing? I wonder...

Note : Would certainly love to hear from visitors to this Blog....your comments, pls. TQ in advance.

What are your parents to you now? Are they in your thoughts? Daily or once in a while? Perhaps never? For most of the time? A burden perhaps? Would you even feel the loss of that someone who loved you & maybe whom you loved too, should they pass away? Or would it be a burden off your shoulders? Frankly, I have yet to witness any sadness at most wakes for deceased parents that I've attended these days...sorry, sad but true.

Are you a parent now? Think of it..."what goes around does come around", as the saying goes. Me had a few discussions of future generations and what may be in store for them. The general consensus is not good...to say the least! Most agreed it would be worse for the next generation & worse still for the next after that! One reason why so-called "Nursing Homes" are flourishing in this country these days. Another sad fact but true.

Sincere apologies for that diversion...And now back to the luck & fate thing...

To me, it's like one is destined to be what one is to be. I have been what I was & is what I am today. Not for want of trying. Me tried. A few examples. Floods prevented my attendance at an interview for a change in career. An attempt at biznes failed after a year...with losses! Investment efforts in the local bourse resulted in losses...even when purchasing newly issued units by a bank...something that never ever happened before!

Now you tell me if that is luck or fate?

That sad part of my struggle in my life made me more determined to ensure that my future family & kids would never have to go through what I had to. And I can happily say I'd achieved that by overcoming all odds stacked against me all those years!

And so it was & has been...both my kids knew no such sorrows nor had to struggle like me had to. I found the means...when I did not have those capabilities....to provide for what I felt I should do for them...going that extra mile, as the saying goes. They were not even troubled by a single cockroach!!

Even so, I couldn't help having that nagging feeling that my kids might still feel that I could have done more...possibly even someone feeling that me owed him/her more than he/she owed me? Now can that be true?

But now, fate has taken its course. Not luck. Not what I could do. That 10% which is beyond our control. My golden years are turning out to be not what I had wished & hoped for. But, frankly (like my other half has been reminding me off & on...), if me were to look around, my life...and hers...isn't too bad after all! With a good "Kay Pa" looking after both of us (till the day we have to leave this world, so to say...), we would never starve nor not have clothes on our backs or a roof over our heads. In fact, we can consider ourselves blessed!! And hopefully, with reasonably good health, we would find our own little happiness along the way...in the days left...

Yup, every day of life is indeed a true bonus! Happiness is there...all around us! It's up to us to enjoy it the best way we can! At this point in our lives, material things do not matter much...besides the basic necessities of a reasonably comfortable home (which we already have...). It's the feeling that prevails...as we pass each extra day given to us...without the need to struggle anymore...in PEACE!

Thank God for what we are blessed with...this Life in us! To have what we already have. Amen.