I’m trying not to use the four-letter word… B.U.S.Y.
It’s a word I hear all the time. It’s an answer I sometimes give without a second thought.

My next door neighbour asked if we could have dinner… and then she proposed Sunday, and I said, I need to spend time with my Dad.
Then she emailed (yes, we live next door and we are emailing each other!) and proposed Saturday, and I said, oops, I’ve to attend a wedding this week.
Then she emailed (again) and said, what about Friday, and… right again, I said, someone just arranged to meet me.
And again she emailed and said, how about Thursday, and I said, oh no, (blush blush), I see Dad on Thursdays with mum.
Then I didn’t even wait for her to ask. I just offered to tell her that I have Bible studies on Wednesdays!

I “live a full life”… I am “meaningfully occupied”… – hehehe… semantics?

Well, anyway, I started out wanting to say that there’s so much I’ve been reflecting on and wanting to write about… but these past days have been so… so…. oops… what’s that word again? bleep…. censored…

B.U.S.Y…
Aaaahhhhhhhhhh… there, I just said it!

P.S. She proposed next Friday – and yes, I am having dinner with her
What a patient neighbour!

I found a piece of scrap paper with my sister’s neatly scribbled handwriting of my exam schedule while clearing up her things the other day. She must have noted it down when I had asked her to pray for me. That little scrap of paper triggered off many memories of her.

I remember how I would be invited to speak at a meeting or a camp, and there she would be, quietly seated at the back of the room soaking in everything I had to say. I was always the one rushing here and there. She always had time for me. She was always waiting for me. I remember how she would invite her friends to come for those meetings because “my sister is speaking.” She was my number one (and perhaps only?) fan. She always had something good to say about whatever I did (no matter how I felt I had bungled).

Then I found a brand new 2003 diary that she had bought. It was still wrapped in the bookstore’s plastic bag, complete with the receipt for it. Cynthia was expecting to live another year, but Jesus chose to take her home on 31 December 2002.

How I miss seeing her at the back of the rooms now whenever I am called to teach or speak. How good it is to feel so loved. Someone once said, “Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems de-populated.” How true it is for me.

Valentine’s Day came and went… this time without the usual moans and groans and whining of self-pity. Had a great three days ~ two nights with fellow-singles at a chalet in Pasir Ris. There were 35 of us in all (20 ladies and 15 men). I think it’s wonderful the way my new group of single friends have taken to becoming a self-help group – to make our singles lives more meaningful and fun…

Although I have been hanging out with the group for about three months now, I had never felt real bonding with them until this past weekend. We, the ladies, became better friends. I got to know their concerns. We prayed for one another… you know, more like sisters than competitors in a spouse-hunting contest. I appreciated the upfront and honest answers we got when we dialogued with some of the fellas informally over pockets of free time. We didn’t get “politically correct” answers, but genuine answers, as one of the sisters describes it. Thank you guys.

The self-initiated committee members took superb care of the programs and logistical needs right down to the last detail. I say kudos to the selfless volunteers. Thank you for making this Valentine’s weekend so special for me (and many of the others I’m sure!)