CNY reflections

The CNY has come at last..........well, I did speed up in getting things prepared for the new year's eve dinner, just for my own family, to preserve some form of tradition. At least my 'working son' got off early on that day (well, who wants to buy clothes a the shop on CNY eve) and we managed a normal dinner time. The first day of CNY we spent most of the day at my brother's place - the children catching up with their cousins and the adults also doing some long needed touching base. We live a couple of kilometers apart, and yet hardly get to see each other, busy as everyone is with their own lives. So CNY is a blest occasion to meet up and catch up on things.This year we did not visit my aunt in Malacca because all the cousins decided to return to Singapore early (seems the traffic would be bad at the causeway today).

It is back to work for quite a number of friends tomorrow. I seem to hear that many are not taking an extended time away this year. But I'll have a couple more days before I have work on Friday and the second part of the third week of CPE on Saturday. So I'll take the opportunity to visit a few friends of my own. It has not been a terribly exciting long weekend, and yet, I'm feeling tired with the extra cooking called for.....these few days, I've cooked more than I usually do for a normal week, but since the children are home, it is something I want to do.

Another 'new year'! This was on my mind lately because I guess I've yet to process many of the things I left behind the year before and to receive the things I'm invited to this year......2009. This lunar new year has given me more time to think things through and in the midst of preparations, I have jotted down several of these.

It seems I've left behind a couple of friendships last year. Nothing disruptive, just that we've grown apart, in many ways and there's just not much to connect over. I've left the Baptist tradition (and all that it meant to me, both life giving and not so helpful) behind as I and my husband have decided to worship at a Methodist church. I've been faced with the possibility of serious illness and realize more acutely how we live on 'borrowed' time. And what am I invited to this year.......it seems to be another year of clarifying who and whose I am; of living in greater openness and trust of the One who knows when even a sparrow falls; of growing into a vulnerability that leads to compassion. Those are the new year gifts (my 'ang pows') so far......partly unwrapped but will take much time to fully appreciate. At present it seems timely to enjoy the next few days with many cookies to munch and friends to visit........