Tribolum.com Making Light of Things

It is not often you get someone who’s thick-skinned and deep at the same time. I’ve got a 2 year old version in my house.

After prayer, Anne pats both my cheeks and says, “I’m the cutest.”

“Who?”, I ask.

“Me. I’m the cutest. But when I grow up, I won’t be the cutest anymore.”

While walking down Orchard Road yesterday morning with Faith and Anne in tow, we encountered wave upon wave of Secondary school kids carrying tins, asking for donations to St. John’s Ambulance in return for some stickers.

They come in all shapes and sizes, but a few stereotypes stand out:

• The can’t-be-bothereds. Often in groups, these schoolkids are the ones you’d immediately describe as “recalcitrant”. They walk about with their headphones on, and the stark emptiness of their tins don’t bother them - they’re just passing time.
• The frazzled. Walking around like a bee on steroids, they wear the frown of a stockbroker after a market collapse. They buzz around, inspecting everyone to see if they’ve pasted the stickers. When faced with a potential “victim” who doesn’t sport the sticker, the frown intensifies, they step towards their target, then chicken out at the last minute.
• The shy. They’ll be seen at the corner, considerately staying out of your way but constantly hoping you’ll come over and do your good deed for the month. They occasionally gang up to take out people at the fringe of the crowd.
• The enthused. I’ve never seen this type until yesterday. This girl popped up from behind us and chirped, “please donate”, and flashed a big smile. When we told her we already had donated, she smiled, thanked us and went to the next person. Her cheerfulness was very contagious.

I’ve come to realise that I care for these kids a great deal - all of them. It could be the day job at the Ministry of Education. It’s getting to me.

Faith sent me a bunch of flowers to cheer me up at work. I love this girl.

Coming home after you two are already asleep, I wonder if you shared laughter tonight. Even asleep you bring me so much joy.

Life’s been a little crazy around here lately. The new Ministry of Education site is due for launch very soon, so moving those huge cogs to fall into place is a full-time job and then some. On the home front, we’re busy preparing for the arrival of baby Caleb.

He’s called Caleb because Caleb was the first name to go on our list, and Anne refuses any other suggestion. So there Caleb, your sister’s stubborness named you.

All these million-and-one things to do makes me a little irritable as my brain constantly sorts out the next few moves. What to do, who to talk to, shelving aside good ideas that aren’t so urgent but mentally bookmarking them so I remember to revisit them. As the to-do list grows longer, I get snappier as I don’t have the luxury of sitting back and strategising. The never ending tirade of doing buffets me, wave after wave after wave.

Just realised that I typed “wave after wave after wave” with only my left hand. Do you do the same?

I digress.

Continue reading Relationship Recalibration.

For Aunty Audrey.

Faith took these videos with her phone.