Hello there. It’s been a while dear reader. I apologise sincerely for not posting any sooner. Since the turn of the year, I have felt creatively exhausted for some reason. Maybe it’s just a manifestation of my inner tiredness as well. Maybe I’ve just been lazy. Maybe, just maybe, I don’t know what else to write to you dear reader that I haven’t already written. But then again, that’s just a maybe.

I realised I haven’t updated you at all in regards to my life. I recently found a full time job! Well, it is more ‘four months’ recent. I’ve been working in the aviation industry and that has taken up a majority of my time. I go to work early in the morning and I come back from work feeling both physically and mentally fatigued, which I figure is what everyone goes through. My sister goes through it. My father went through it. My friends are living it. Nevertheless, four months on, I find it has been immensely fruitful despite the hectic schedules at times.

A few weeks ago, the schedule eased up and my boss wanted to appreciate our recent efforts at the office and invited us to a lovely barbecue at his house. As I was busy working the past few weeks and putting some overtime shifts, it felt good to have a relaxing Thursday. After the barbecue ended, I had a choice to go back to my home and sleep but instead I asked my colleague to drop me off near my former university. I don’t know why I did exactly that but I did it anyway. I decided to visit my old working place which was the Catholic Chaplaincy at university and secretly hoped that my former colleague was there. Indeed, she was! How happy was I to see her and we caught up with each other. Without realising, I started telling her my experiences with my engineering job and how I sometimes find myself not putting enough time aside for my faith and God.

I told them that I haven’t attended any Catholic events recently and I feel I should be doing more. One of them said, “You don’t have to. You’ve been finding time for prayer. You’ve been going to daily mass. Sometimes, you go through periods where quiet and personal time is more needed than going to events. You’re growing in a different way.” I took that advice to heart.

After catching up with them, I visited a good friend of mine who is doing PhD at the moment. He’s one of the treasures in my life and I always tell him that he got me through uni because he actually did. He never hesitates to help me when I have questions and even when I don’t always do the same likewise, he still makes himself available. I went to see him and greeted him Happy Chinese New Year. We stayed outside his office and talked for a bit. We had a good time reminiscing about some of our years together and I also met a new friend of his. He told me that he wasn’t sure if he is able to do well in his PhD and that he needs help.  I told him, “Arthur is one of the best guys I know. You have him here. He will always help you. Don’t worry.”

After all of that, I went to say a little prayer at a church in the city and just spend some time there. I then called up my sister and asked her if she wanted to have dinner because we both haven’t eaten a meal together in a while. I told her it was my treat. She asked, “Why?” I said, “Why not?” We had a good dinner and managed to have very interesting and meaningful conversations. I don’t tell her often enough but I love her with all my heart.

You the dear reader must ponder why am I recapping this day in particular with you. To be honest, I could have picked any day to recap and I would have easily found so many things to be grateful for. I picked this day because I felt it was an epitome of what a priest said to me once as he quoted St. Mary McKillop, “Gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

He once asked me, “Why did you go back to your hometown during the holidays?” I didn’t really give him an answer and so he pushed on again, “You still haven’t told me why you went back,”

I said, “Well, it’s been a long time since I went back. I grew up there. It is the reason I am who I am. The people in my hometown shaped and influenced me to be a better person. I wanted to go back to see my friends, my parents’ friends and just to remember what it is like to be there again,”

He then responded, “People usually go back to their past to seek answers about their future. I can see that you are very thankful and that’s good for gratitude is the memory of the heart.”

On that Thursday, it was my heart that pointed me to where I needed to go. It pointed me to the advice from my former colleague. It pointed me to my friend who helped me through university. It pointed me towards my sister. It pointed me towards answers I didn’t even realise I needed. It pointed me towards remembering how great life is.

For everything that God has given to me, my heart cries with joy at the abundance of love He has showered upon me. For everything that my parents has sacrificed to raise me, my heart will always remember their love for it is because I am so loved by them that I am able to love others. For my sister who spoils me like no older sister ever would and is always there for me when I need her, no words can express how I feel. For my friends who has helped me through university, work and life, although you may not read this, know that you are the reason I am happy where I am at. For everyone that I have ever encountered, whether it’s on a bus, at a restaurant, at the clothing shop, through the music I listen to, through the shows that I watch, your acts of kindness offers me hope to live each day amidst the darkness.

Lastly, to you dear reader, thank you. You are the reason I’m able to write the stories of my heart and share its love with yours.

Thank you.