My firstborn is 11 going 12! It's amazing how time flies, from a new born baby to an adorable feisty toddler, sweet pre-schooler to an artsy pre-teen. She's been my sunshine since she came into my life, despite short bursts of tyranny - 1st 5 months she simply refused to sleep through the night, demanding to be carried at differing positions to go into slumber and her 'terrible two' stage. In general, she's a sensible, sensitive and gregarious child, with an inclination and passion towards creative crafts, which takes priority over her academic studies. Unfortunately, Singapore school system is not conducive for her type of personality that tends to learn better in a creative environment, even in areas of academic studies.
My firstborn is a cheerful and charming girl. Even as a toddler, she'll be beaming smiles at people. When she was about 14 months old while in the arms of my mom who was doing her grocery shopping at a supermarket, she flashed her signature smile at a lady who was so captivated that the lady invited my mom and daughter to her home right after. My mom called me later to inform me that they were at a 'stranger's' house, to my horror! I quickly went over to fetch them and it turned out that the stranger lady was a kind lady who had a boy about the same age as my girl. Thereafter, both kids became playmates and the stranger lady has become a dear family friend, all thanks to a charming smile ;p
As my first born grows, her smiles and laughters continue to warm my heart, as well as others'. Many people commented that my girl's laughter is spontaneous and contagious and brightens up everyone's mood :-) May my girl be a joyful person always!
This is the first piece I am writing since onset of 2015... It's been a hectic beginning - adjusting kids back into the routine of school term, attending Meet-the-Parents sessions, social gatherings, work and family. Now I can finally sit back and pen my reflections, which may not be much, as it's a haphazard swirl of thoughts. These thoughts unravel in my mind as I needle felt or weave, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy poking. Needle felting is a slow, philosophic and silent occupation, which keeps you busy but gives you time to think of other things. It allows my mind to wander freely, pondering on life and its mysteries.
Too many incidences have transpired lately, social, societal and global, they serve as food for thought to life in general, leading to no satisfactory answer to each bit of wonder. Restlessness surfaces as the thoughts swim about, leaving me more thankful to each day, to each blessing bestowed, to each love in my life and hopefully I am able to give back all the blessings to all around me.
Maybe life is like a tapestry, with all the entanglements and weavings, everything is intertwined. There's no exact blueprint, the tapestry is weaved based on instinct and freedom of choice, and sometimes due to restraint, it's weaved in a different manner from original intent but still yields a fulfilling result. It echoes my experience with life, as well as my first tapestry weaving. I had an idea of what I want (breads), a vague design of the backdrop (baskets of breads on shelves) and my ideal (French floor tiles) and started weaving without outlining the exact count. I went along as it flowed. Not every tile is perfect but in the big scheme of the entire tapestry, it looks coherent. As I weaved on, I ran short on a color and could not replace it with the exact color and texture, I re-designed the backdrop into a store frontage instead. It turned out pretty well, a French Boulangerie :-)
