The Little Things

Being away from home as much as I am, I've come to find my days in Singapore to be very precious. Time to catch up with myself, with friends, with family. Sad to say, "family" seems to end up last on my list invariably. Yes, it's a shame - I take them for granted.

Yet they are undoubtably the unsung heroes in my life.

The other day my mum asked me what time I wanted to take my dinner before stepping out to work. My irritated reply?

"I've to leave at 530. There's no time for dinner," eyebrows furrowed. It all came out so fast, preoccupied as I with packing, but I regretted the throwaway callousness with which I uttered the lines the instant I said them. So hurridly, I added, all this time avoiding eye contact with her, "but if you want you can cook something light."

Five minutes later, I wished I had the courage to tell her I was sorry. Til now I have yet to do so.


And tonight, when I phoned home to ask my sis if she wanted to come watch a movie with me and my friend, she told me of my dad's anxiety, popping in and out of the room we share ever so often to check if I was home yet - thinking I had a flight to catch early tomorrow morning. Turns out he remembered wrong, but that's not the point. The fact that he makes the effort to remember these little details, to pick me up after work - I was so touched.

Here's to all the mums and dads in the world, worrying about their kids long after they've ceased to be kids.