Creating Sweet and Beautiful Memories

Assalamualaikum my fellow friends,

I will be 43 next January which is less than a month away.  Have you ever thought of death?  Both my parents passed away early - My mother was 70 years old and my father was not even 61 years old when he passed away.  I thought of Rasullullah S.A.W. who also left this world at the age of 63.  If I am to use Rasulullah's S.A.W age as a benchmark, I have about 20 years of living in this world.  20 years is short for me.

This has result in me pursuing happiness with such an extreme determination.  Of course, my ultimate goal in life is Allah's paradise / jannah.  But while I am here in this world, I will relentlessly be in pursuit of my own happiness.  May Allah always be by my side to keep me safe and happy.

So what do I do to be happy?  You can do more or lesser than me, depending on your affordability in terms of finances.  So here's what we (me and my children) normally do.  These are simple things in life that I enjoy and make me happy.  I hope you have a list of activities that you like to do to make you happy too...

1. Go to movies. Sometimes we just go and see what is available and just watch the best option available at that time.  I always remind my children not to fight and give and take.  If previously we have watched my daughter's movie selection then we will try to let my son make the next choices.  Luckily my daughter and I have the same taste in movies so it is so easy for me.  The girls are always the majority... isn't it fun :D

2. Go shopping.  There are always reasons to go shopping.  My daughter and I have hundred of reasons why we need to go shopping.  However, I always  make a point to ask her to give away her exising clothes so that there will be room for the new ones we are buying.  Usually, the clothes we give away is still good.  My son doesn't like to shop as much but he always follow us.  It is so nice to have a son because he is big now (17 years old) and strong, he is our "living" trolley.  My son is really strong, he can carry all the bulky items I bought at Ikea.

3. Eating out.  We definitely do this every week.  This is the favourite of my son.  We try as much as we can to explore new eating places.  We eat everywhere - warung, restaurant or mid-range.  In Malaysia, there are so many types of food we can try - Malay nasi campur, Mamak, Steamboat, Arabic food, Chinese-Muslim food, Korean food, Thai food, Japanese food, Indonesian food, Western food ... there are endless choices in Malaysia.  The vast choices of food in Malaysia are just heavenly.

4. Travelling.  I try to travel with my children a little bit further than KL.  Recently, we went to Langkawi Island.  We had a splendid time of course.  Whenever, we go travelling, I always tell my children before we go for a vacation "We are going to a new place where I don't know the area and you don't as well.  So let's be patient with each other and if we get lost, let's get lost together.  We'll find the way together.".  It is very important that we don't get stressed during vacation because the main purpose of going for a vacation is to enjoy new places and see different things that cannot be found at where you live.

Beautiful beach in Langkawi

5. Celebrating birthdays.  It is utmost important to celebrate birthdays.  My eldest sister tries to make a point that our siblings and our nephews and nieces birthdays should be grouped together by month and celebrate together.  It give us reasons to go to each other's house.  Among my siblings, we take turns to hold the birthday celebrations.  This is important but still, I make a point to celebrate my children's birthday individually within my small family.  I want each of my children to know that they are extremely special and I love them very much. A gift is essential but a cake is not because they can opt to have a nice dinner/lunch instead.  My daughter is extremely conscious of her weight now, so all of us cannot eat too much carbohydrate to follow her diet.

6. Exercising.  My son was a member of his school's rugby team previously so he likes exercising.  He still go jogging in the afternoon.  He will try to drill us and most of the time we will try to go jogging together.  Mind you, we only jog for about 1.5 - 2.0 km.  Nothing stressful.  Enough to get us out from the house for awhile.  My daughter also likes this activity since she is trying to loose weight and I just tag along.  I am the most not-fit.  But they cannot beat me when it comes to zumba :), so I don't feel so bad.

Thank you so much my friends for your continuous support.  I will continue writing.

I have submitted my VSS and will be leaving my current job in 2016.  I am not sure what adventure lies ahead. I'm scared but life must go on.  As long as Allah, is with me, I will be all right.  Allah, please take care of me and keep me safe.

Till next time.  May Allah stays by your side and mine always, all the time, at all times.

Lotsa Luv from me... Yellow Rose...