f a m i l y

Peggy's famous quote - "Stupid people just have to die!"

A continuation of the many different topics that were discussed during the outing on Saturday. To summarise it all, I went out with my friends on Saturday. Had fun at a board game cafe; walked along the quiet Singapore River; strolled here and there looking for a Starbucks cafe to sit down and relax.

So while we were taking the train back home, somehow the topic of discussion turned to stupid people and what they do.

The first thing Peggy said was, "I think stupid people really have to die," her voice totally filled with disgust and indignity.

After that, as the train slowly sped on, we chatted about our families. For Peggy and Junwei, they were saying how they totally feel disgusted about those relatives who are rich and apparently sport that obnoxious or complacent attitude towards the rest of the family; whereas Huilin was complaining about how it was so hard having two different family branches spread out between Singapore and Malaysia.

"And you know, I really don't feel like calling them every week and asking whether they wanted to come down for dinner. My grandmother dotes on them and wishes to be able to see her grandchildren, but all they do is come down here and have dinner. After that they just leave as if the entire dinner was like a meal at a restaurant." Peggy piped up, fuming indignantly.

Family relations can really be a troublesome affair huh?

I remember until like a year or two ago, my relationship with my cousins was anything but congenial. It might be due to lack of interaction because we all live in different parts of Singapore, and we rarely gather and communicate, save for that once in a year Chinese New Year dinner; or it might be due to my straightforward character that many detest. Not to say that my cousins aren't open minded or that they are a stick in the mud, but we definitely don't see eye to eye on many matters.

Still, it was my eldest cousin who decided to make the effort. I guess he believed that tolerance is the key to building a good relationship. Also, he organised regular gatherings at board game cafes or karoke sessions, as some of us love to sing. All in all, I would say he contributed the most to the friendly relationship we have between us cousin now. Even though we might still argue a bit here and there, but the animosity isn't present anymore.

I'm somehow glad I did not have those arrogant, obnoxious relatives like what Junwei or Peggy have to endure with; and I'm really happy that I can still consider the relationship between my relatives and my family as a close one. But then again, as we discussed more and more, I somehow began to think: "What will I do if my relatives are like Peggy's or Junwei's relatives; and what will I do too if the people in my family are unfriendly or even hostile towards each other, to the point that we just lead our separate lives and not care about each other?

To be honest, I don't even know the answer to that.

In my innocent mind, I still feel that blood is thicker than water. We might ignore each other completely if we see each other on the streets; or we might hang the phone up on one another and avoid having even a simple conversation. But at the end of the day, the same blood still runs in our veins. The fact that we are family, that we come from the same ancestor, is totally undeniable. I still chose to believe that we as humans, are human.

Yet somehow it's really funny how realistic the real world is.

I wonder if I were to express my opinion above, how many people would agree with me. I doubt there will be even a handful. Family arguments, divorces, failed marriages, broke-up families, are becoming an increasingly common sight in the society nowadays. The word family is overrated now. How many people that you see on the streets actually consists of happy, blissful families? How many children these days actually celebrate Father's or Mother's Day? To be honest, I don't even bother.

Walking on the busy street, I somehow realised that everyone has their own burden to carry; their own job to carry out; their different destination to go to. Heads bowed down, shuffling their heavy footsteps, carrying that heavy black briefcase or handbag, I wonder how many of these people actually have a happy family that one would definitely be envious of.

Maybe one day, we will realise how important the word 'family' is.





Listening to Kit Chan's "Tian Leng Jiu Hui Jia", Den suddenly appreciates how beautiful life can be when one has a great family to turn to. And deep in his heart he murmurs softly, "Mom, happy Mother's Day, and thank you."