Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Overdue Post!!

It has been almost two months since I last posted here. A lot have happened during this period. There have been three deaths amongst family members, weddings of neighbours’ and friends’ children, thanksgivings, hospitalization etc, and add to that my service commitment to my former place of work, all of which had taken me all over the country. My wife and I have been away from home more frequently since. Having little Najla tagging along everywhere we went was quite a blessing as she is able to melt away all the tiredness we feel in the run-around.

All the above, and being away from home more than usual left me little time to write and thus the long absence of posts here.

Apart from the above time demanding happenings, there were the February birthdays too. Ram’s birthday and birthdays of the three Bintulu grandchildren fell in February. Thanks to the simplicity of the electronic gadgets, although we could not be present in person we could at least contact everyone using the electronic media. The kids, especially, were excited during their birthdays, more so when we could acknowledge their birthdays from a distance. They in turn did the same for their grandmother on her birthday, with the help of their dad of course.

A paternal uncle of mine, who was in his mid seventies passed away in hospital soon after undergoing an operation to remove a troubling growth in the intestines. Not too long later Ram’s cousin, a few years older than us passed away one early morning, after complaining of being tired the night before. And about a week ago a nephew-in-law, in his mid thirties, married to my niece and blessed with a son quite close in age to Najla, passed away one early morning after complaining of being tired after the morning prayers. No correlations between the two latter deceased but I thought it was a bit strange for a young nephew to go that way. We have not known him to have heart or related problems to cause sudden death. His immediate family accepted his passing away though.

A paternal aunty, a few years younger than her elder brother who passed away recently, landed in hospital because of a very serious diabetes condition that was debilitating and that had affected her mobility. Ultimately she had to have one leg amputated below the knee. She had been in and out of hospital as not only has she got diabetes, she also has a poor heart and other complications. I can feel her pain, the pain of having a leg amputated, the pain of withstanding all the ailments she suffers from, and the pain of having to undergo all the bodily interventions in overcoming the ailments. I try to make efforts to visit her, help where necessary and able, pray for her when I can, with the hope of alleviating some of her pains. It must be traumatic and depressing and family support is important this period.

The above throws my schedules haywire and thus Ram and I had to travel and spent less time at home. Available time to write and get onto the net or the computer was also much reduced. I will have to make extra effort from now on to write….. hmmm……. I have to remember that I have got to make time for things to happen….. May the Almighty provide guidance always…….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya