Sunday, March 11, 2007
some really nice phrases from "for one more day" by mitch albom.
Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back.
What if you got it back?
She wasn't easy on me, don't get me wrong. She smacked me. She scolded me. She punished me. But she loved me, she really did.
Her only flaw was that she didn't make me work for it.
You see, here's my theory: Kids chase the love that eludes them, and for me, that was my father's love. He kept it tucked away, like papers in a briefcase. And i kept trying to get in there.
Here is what you are going to find out about marriage: you have to work at it together. And you have to love three things. You have to love
1) each other
2) you children
3) you marriage.
What i mean by that last one is, there may be times that you fight, and sometimes you and catherine won't even like each other. But those are the times you have to love your marriage. It's like a third party. Look at your wedding photos. Look at any memories you've made. And if you believe in those memories, they will pull you back together.
Its funny. I met a man once who did a lot of mountain climbing. I asked him which was harder, ascending or descending? He said without a doubt descending, because ascending you were so focused on reaching the top, you avoided mistakes. The backside of a mountain is a fight against human nature. You have to care as much about yourself on the way down as you did on the way up.
You expect a lot of things in a marriage Charley, but who could see themselves replaced like that? I could have forgiven him almost anything against me. But that was a betrayal of you and your sister too.
You have one family Charley. For good or bad. You have one family. You can't trade them in. You can't lie to them. You can't run two at once, substituting back and forth.
Sticking with your family is what makes it a family.
I believe that parents, if they love you, will hold you up safely, above their swirling waters, and sometimes that means you'll never know what they endured, and you may treat them unkindly, in a way you otherwise wouldn't.
But there's a story behind everything. How a picture got on a wall. How a scar got on your face. Sometimes the stories are simple, and sometimes they are hard and heartbreaking. But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begins.
very meaningful phrases.
miss uncle lesster suddenly.
UL, bx, me..
we've been through quite a bit man.
remember the first time huiling introed me to UL.
imagined him sitting on the harley motorbike and leather jacket.
haha..
wonder how i can ever imagine that.
yups. still remember the 3 of us met at the "big fishball noodle shop" in bukit panjang plaza. haha..
and then somehow bx also got to know UL..
hmmm..
will never forget how he took us in his little car for rides..
to kallang. to our homes. to take pictures at the "bars". to changi village. with kim lee and timothy arnold. in KL. being concerned about us.
how he listened to bx and me bitch and complain about our parents and schoolwork and coach.. and he'd sit down there and listen and offer some new perspectives.
perspectives that made me grow and learn to empathize with the adults living in a world totally different from mine. he never scolded us or forced us to see things his way. he just offered words of wisdom without being domineering.
he's one of those who moulded me into who i am today.
so UL. if u ever read this, thanks for everything. hope you are doing fine in africa... come back to sg soon!!!!!
