All grown up

M has a blog and she titled it Growing!, yup complete with exclamation mark. 

She writes of her growth and growing pains and once in a blue moon marks her growth with some ink.

M & J, my dear kids, have both grown up. 

And everyone around them has grown older in the mean time. Their 81 year old Grandfather "TaTa" has caught COVID and had collapsed at a dinner with Grand Uncle Michael and his family. At that time we thought he suffered a stroke attack as he was also incoherent (expressive dysphasia) and could not walk. Luckily E was there and was the only one strong enough to carry Ta Ta back up to his room.

D then rushed up to Malacca later in the week and she saw them face to face. By then Grandmother "NeiNei" also caught COVID. Before D left, she cooked and froze a week's worth of food for them so they won't need to worry about food while they self quarantined. Tata was so grateful for Mom's cooking "so nice and soft", in his words. Mom is truly a wonderful daughter in law.

However, all of this events shook me and mom & all my siblings (and even my cousin). We had a family meeting to decide on Ta Ta's hospitalisation and care arrangements.

It has reminded us of the mortality that we all face, and in this case we subsequently found out when scanned that Ta Ta had suffer mild heart attacks and strokes before.

This also got us to thinking of how well we care for each other. Right now, both our children are appropriately growing up (I think the millenial phrase for it is adulting, right?) and charting their own course (and also course correcting where necessary).

The course of the adult life is long and winding and I'd add thoroughly enjoyable. The destination though for all of us is the same. At the end of the day, all we want is to have done some good, hopefully made a difference for the world  but most critically for parents like mom and me to have raised good kids who will then be good people

Mom, having been in Malacca, seeing Ta Ta and Nei Nei first hand and the love and care they received. She is quite naturally reflecting on her own situation as a mother esp how she has brought up children who care about their parents and about each other. Ultimately, in life, these are the most important things.

This is a mellow time for her. She is naturally feeling low and pensive and if each of you (individually and together) can do something for her, I know she'd appreciate it.

I think you both know she has given her all (even more than me who focused on my career to bring home the bacon) in raising two of you and everything you say and so affects her so a gesture or two now would I know have a positive effect on her too