“ Life is Simple, but it’s not Easy ” , the phrase that always slipped into my mind sometimes, I believe many of us do. Life is as simple as we read the phrase above, but, in a silent context, it carried a much deeper and complex definition.
Every biological and living things have their own definition. This is also apply for all of us, human being or, to be more sophisticatedly, homo sapiens. Every single one of us is unique on its own and has our own definition of life.
Through science we have learnt that human being was born through the process that we called reproduction system. Basically, baby was created from the two cells of male (sperm) and female (ovum). Like an infant, we also sustain life through eat and drink, of course, through breathing as well.
Life appears to be as simple as those elements previously mentioned. But, in reality it is beyond those. While life appears unique for each one of us, but some traces of our daily routine might be similar. Hence, we can relate to each other as human being, arguably the most intelligent creature existed in our universe.
As any average guy out there, my life journey more or less the same as a modern living people in this mixture of urban and rural territory. The upbringing of the millennials also known as Generation Y (Gen Y). My life came across the transition of economy, culture evolution and the rapid development of technology.
This post might be the extension of my introductory post but I would like to think that this an episode of my insights about life and its surrounding that I have been through so far. Being away from your hometown especially your parents will make you learn precious experiences about life as a whole. I am remain grateful for things that I have been encountered in this life journey.
Born and raised on the third largest island in the world, Borneo, my childhood was without electricity, bad road access and simply very improper and short clean water supply. Through times, the government seems done a good job for providing us the electric supply and upgrading our road. However, the water system was just as lame as before, even until I moved to further my tertiary study.
My current status as a career guy, which is almost a decade old, has been away from home since the age of 17. I have encountered life in many different form. I would like to think I am blessed to be in such an incredible journey so far. I remain hopeful that the best yet to come.
It has been awhile since my last post as I have been thinking lately what is my direction on this platform. But, as I read through my introduction , I think I would like to keep going with the insights of life that I have been through. I hope I can recall all those precious life events that I had been.
Therefore, I came out with this lengthy post as my mind burst so loud. I would like to start sharing about the life that I encountered much recently as it is still fresh in my head. As the title goes, this post is about life that I observed through two different age gap of individuals who I have very fond relationship with.
Being away most of the time, I treasured my leaves especially when I went back to my hometown. Since I am working at the opposite part of my country (Peninsular Malaysia) which require me to take more than two hours flight to my hometown (North Borneo).
Usually, I had the longest leaves on Christmas time it will be at the range of 7 days to 21 days. Well, last Christmas, I visited my grandmother at my cousin house. We all called our grandmother as Ina (mother in our native language). She is almost 100 years old according to her registered identification from the national registrar. But my aunt and uncles said she probably older than her official ID as she was born way before my country was formed which back on those days there was no registration system.
My grandmother, Ina attending Sunday Mass
She was very weak and unable to walk and move around without the help of others or wheelchairs. Her very old age must has been the main factor of her inability according to the doctor. So, most of the time she will be on the bed lying. Well, let's imagine ourselves, lying on the bed, unable to go to work, even sit up right also is a no-no. You need to call someone to assist you if nature calls. It would be devastated, you feel really empty because you used to be mobile and active.
My dad used to bring Ina around when she was in our house,look at the dogs escorting them
As I visited Ina, my dad and two other siblings joined the visit, she will feel better as she has a guest apart from her silent and empty day most of the time. My mom said she became happier if any of her childrens and grandchildrens make a visit. I believe is another therapy for her mental and spiritual too.
Having a wefie after we had great games during last two years Christmas,she was laughing once we entered the room to wish her Merry Christmas because of our faces
As we arrived at my cousin house, which she was not there at time, only a nanny with my cousin kids, I saw Ina lying and napping. My dad wake her up gently, she opened her eyes, me and other siblings greet her. I can feel her inner happiness straightaway as she gave us a faint smile (she seldom gives smile as she is quite a serious grandma). Then, she asked on our reason of visit. Dad told her I wanted to visit her.
My other cousin selfie with Ina when he visited her,I had many funny cousins by the way.
Try to have fun with Ina hand while massaging her hand, the next day my cousin post the photo above, seems like I create a trending photo amongst family
Then, I took her left hand, the one that very weak which Ina unable to lift and grab things like we normally do. I gave her gentle massage while my dad and Ina immersed into deep conversation. As I massage her hands, I can see the wrinkle of her skins, traces of an ageing woman. Then, I observed her eyes while talking to my dad. Those eyes showing a sincere look and stares. She has been concerned about very important and internal issue in the family. She will continue asking things, my calm father explained to her with such gentle yet very firm voice.
Ina was once taken care by dad, dad built her the training facilities to train her
My dad copied the facilities to train Ina.
Amongst all her children, my dad is her most trusted son, she shared all her secrets with my dad, so through their intense conversation, I witnesses the beauty of life. I saw a son and a mother sharing about their concerns in the family. Well, both my dad and Ina are old, the interaction that they show give me perfect insights of life.
My dad and Ina when she was still stayed in my house before moved to my cousin house
My father was in his mid 50s, he dearly love her mom, he wished that he can do anything for her mom, even, he really want to bring her to our house to be take care, but his circumstances against him most of the time, I don't wish to share because it very sad situation and sensetive. Ina really concern on some internal issue regarding her children, sharing her thoughts and worries.
My dad always visit Ina even though she is no longer under his full supervision
An ageing son showing his unconditional loves to his very old mom. A precious lesson of life which make me think that one day I will surely become either one of them in near future, causing me to think that what are the things we chasing for in life that causes us making life so miserable?
Back in my home, I remember my nephew, so adorable and innocent. Icqo, his nickname, is my first nephew in the family. Icqo is my youngest brother first child, he is just turn 5 months old on that Christmas month. I think when all of us look these infants we found them very adorable and cute. We love to watch them and their behaviour.
This my adorable and cute nephew, Icqo
An infant has zero knowledge about the world, even it is not that hard to please them. When they hungry they will cry, when they hurt they will cry and when they are uncomfortable they will cry. All you have to do is feed them, gently caress them and, of course, you don’t have to make world class jokes to make them laugh, they easily laugh at a simple gesture and gimmick.
Icqo was scared but still cute
Icqo's dad with Ina
In this faces of Ina and Icqo, life should be that easy as eat when you hungry, laugh if you are happy and speak up when you are not. In the modern world we lived in nowadays, we are chasing dream after dreams which consume us and make our life became complicated. Upon reaching these goals, we beating ourselves so hard, putting ourselves in very stressful state. While we gave our attention to our dreams it causes us to forget the simple elements of life.
As a result, like the ripples of water, it is not just affect our own life but also the life others. Some people life might in jeopardize, even we took other living things around us for granted. If we able to understand the importances of life and the dreams that we dreamt of is parallel with the basic element of life.
Like most of us, our life goals should be defined through the necessity of life itself, instead of, our own selfish goal which in my observation most of us tend to have aims that neglect the sustainability of life and harming the life existed surround us. We failed to play our role to be Symbiosis in the life cycle.
My 12 ¢ is whenever our effort to reach our goals let down on us and giving us massive pressure, stop and think, because life is beyond our goals. Just like my adorable icqo and Ina, we will eventually going through their phase one day of course we are an infant once, are our goals tend to sustain life and its surrounding? Or otherwise?
Last but not least, I hope Ina will be healthy as she used to and Icqo will grow up healthier. Let's make better dreams and goals which sustain the existence of life and its surrounding.
Until my next post.
