Great Love

Mother Theresa once said, " You can't do great things with little love but you can do little things with great love!"

This seems to be the maxim for a young woman, Norlina Alawi, who gives her unconditional love to her own six children as well as her 10 adopted children.The shadow in their lives is, that some of her adopted children, whom she considers her own, have AIDS and are HIV carriers; others are the children of AIDS patients.

Norlina is the founder and the president of PERNIM(Persatuan Kebajikan Anak Pesakit HIV/AIDS Nurul Iman). As the name suggests, it provides shelter for children with HIV/AIDS.

I had a chance to visit PERNIM two weeks ago. I was excited when my roomate suggested that we go. So, that Sunday, we went to MidValley to have lunch and bought some stuff for the kids. I was still excited. On the way, I was suddenly very nervous to meet the children as I was scared of the consequences. I still have that stigma about people with HIV/AIDS. I was scared to touch them, what more to hug them but they are innocent children. I was in a dilemma.

Things changed when I got there. All of them were waiting for us at the door. When we got into the house we were surrounded by them, we were hugged and kissed. Some just hold our hands and there were some who just smiled from where they were coz they were too weak to move. They are so innocent, so adorable, just like any other children. We spent three hours there. We bathed the children, prepared food for them, and helped some of them with the homework. I felt so welcome, so 'loved' and so 'needed'. It is so fulfilling.

On our way back, none of us said anything but we quietly cried and silently prayed that these children will survive and lead a happy and meaningful life.

It was really an eye opener for me as I've been complaining about how hard my life is and forgetting to thank God for everything that I've got.

Bloody Mary!

It was my time of the month again.. and as usual, i get really emotional, cranky, moody, hungry and all the -y in the world. since he's my bestest pal, he had to face all these.. stupid sms, unanswered phone calls, mood swings. everything was just not right. i was even mad at him coz his cell phone batt when flat! poor guy! while i was nagging at him when he called, suddenly he said, "no wonder god forbid women from praying when u guys r having ur period.. he too can't stand the crankiness! he'll be blamed for everything!" gosh! i was startled for a moment and laughed my lungs out!... i never thought he could come out with that.. most guys, or i would say 200% guys couldn’t even stand me for a minute but he can make a joke out of it.. where is this man from? mars? i don't think so! i think he's from planet-x.. thank god he's my best buddy.. there isn’t anyone like this in this planet earth! and to top it all, he send an sms saying "enjoy it while it last"! How very true!

p/s: hey buddy, i just wanna say THANK YOU in the crankiness manner possible, for always being there for me and put it with all these bloody matters!

Two Bloody Mary please!

one wish...

If I could have just one wish,

I would wish to wake up everyday

to the sound of your breath on my neck,

the warmth of your lips on my cheek,

the touch of your fingers on my skin,

and the feel of your heart beating with mine...

Knowing that I could never find that feeling

with anyone other than you.

For you dad..

You were once my one companion . . . you were all that mattered . . . You were once a friend and father - then my world was shattered . . . Wishing you were somehow here again . . . wishing you were somehow near . . . Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here . . . Wishing I could hear your voice again . . . knowing that I never would . . . Dreaming of you won' t help me to do all that you dreamed I could . . . Passing bells and sculpted angels, cold and monumental, seem, for you, the wrong companions - you were warm and gentle . . . Too many years fighting back tears . . . Why can't the past just die . . .? Wishing you were somehow here again . . . knowing we must say goodbye . . . Try to forgive . . . teach me to live . . . give me the strength to try . . . No more memories, no more silent tears . . . No more gazing across the wasted years . . . Help me say goodbye.

Air and Angel

Twice or thrice had I loved thee,
Before I knew thy face or name;
So in a voice, so in a shapeless flame,
Angels affect us oft, and worshipped be;
Still when, to where thou wert, I came,
Some lovely glorious nothing I did see,
But since my soul, whose child love is,
Takes limbs of flesh, and else could nothing do,
More subtle than the parent is
Love must not be, but take a body too,
And therefore what thou wert, and who
I bid love ask, and now
That it assume thy body, I allow,
And fix itself in thy lip, eye, and brow.
Whilst thus to ballast love, I thought,
And so more steadily to have gone,
With wares which would sink admiration,
I saw, I had love's pinnace overfraught,
Every thy hair for love to work upon
Is much too much, some fitter must be sought;
For, nor in nothing, nor in things
Extreme, and scatt'ring bright, can love inhere;
Then as an angel, face and wings
Of air, not pure as it, yet pure doth wear,
So thy love may be my love's sphere;
Just such disparity
As is 'twixt air and angels' purity,
'Twixt women's love, and men's will ever be.

-John Donne