Temporary Home

Came across this song recently and thought of sharing it here with you guys. I first heard it when it was sung by one of the American Idol 10 participants, and subsequently chanced upon it again on the radio.

Basically, the song tells of three very different characters -- one of a young foster child who’s sent from home to home, another of a single young mom who’s struggling to bring up her child, and the last of an old man going through his last days in a hospital bed. All three scenarios tell of how life is just but a temporary trial, and that life on earth is just a through road to get to where our real home is. Delivered with so much true emotion, I think Carrie Underwood did a brilliant job.

As a Christian, I’m often told that life on earth is just a passing experience in preparation for our life in heaven. Then again, if heaven was really perfect, is there really such a need for us to be trialled and trained in preparation for it? Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I am in doubt of my faith, but as a young Christian, I do still have my questions about Christ. Will look this up and speak to more mature Christians and share this some time. Meanwhile, do enjoy this song. I’ve also included the lyrics for your reference. I think Carrie totally nailed it, vocal, emotions and all.

Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood

Little boy, 6 years old
A little too used to bein' alone.
Another new mom and dad, another school,
Another house that'll never be home.
When people ask him how he likes this place...
He looks up and says, with a smile upon his face,

"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."

Young mom on her own.
She needs a little help, got nowhere to go.
She's lookin' for a job, lookin' for a way out,
Because a half-way house will never be a home.
At night she whispers to her baby girl,
"Someday we'll find our place here in this world."

"This is our temporary home.
It's not where we belong.
Windows and rooms that we're passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is our
Temporary Home."

Old man, hospital bed,
The room is filled with people he loves.
And he whispers don't cry for me,
I'll see you all someday.
He looks up and says, "I can see God's face."

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This was just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know... this was
My temporary home."

This is our temporary home.

Ollie

I spent the night at my parents’ house last night. No, it wasn’t because J and I fought (haha!)… He’s outstation, so I thought of spending some time with them at home.

So, as some of you may know, my little adorable nephew comes over to be babysat by my mom for at least 2 days in every week. Kissing him goodbye before I headed off to work this morning, I realised how much and how quickly he had grown. FJB days never gave me much time to spend with him as an infant, but a month prior to the wedding, I quit my job and got to spend so much time with him. I miss that a lot. Now that I’ve moved to T-eeny town, I try to see him as much as possible when I’m back in the city.

No longer a baby, he’s a young kid now, and a good-looking young man in the making. Speaking now in sentences rather than just responding in two or three words, he is going through the “terrible two” phase. Sometimes I debate with him over little things, just for the heck of it; or sometimes I’d just pretend to be sad or hurt when he’s disobedient, and he’d come over to give me a big kiss, just to “sayang” me back.

Manipulative at certain times, yet a coward at others, this boy’s still a gem in all our (my family’s) eyes. Having him around takes away all of my stress, even when he is being cheeky and mischievous. I’m quite sure that everyone’s proud of their own child, grandchild, nephew or niece, and think that he or she is the cutest and most lovable kid around. This aunt here is definitely not spared of this partiality.

So, let the proud Tu Tu (he calls me that as he never used to be able to pronounce Gu Gu properly) showcase some of his growing moments so far. This entry’s for you, my dear little Ollie.

Newborn

Not long after he learned how to flip.. just about 7 weeks

Check out that tummy!

Happy baby

Practicing his charm at just 3 months

Yup, that's how cheerful he gets!

1 year plus, pretending to be a pro-footballer already

Just last year, at our wedding

Cheeky DJ

As Another Friend Walks Away

I know this is gonna sound a little out of this world, but another friend of mine passed early this month. He was also just 28. Within a month, going through the loss of two friends is no funny game.

Aik Keong was a high school friend. Funny and borne to bring humour and laughter to others, he was a natural joker. We met in secondary one, when he got sent to our class from an all boys’ one. At that age, most boys were mischievous, and so the teachers intended to bring some good influence to his life by sending him to our class (not like we were much of angels).

It didn’t take long for everyone in class to bond with him. He was funny, caring, and certainly far from being a problem student that we anticipated him to be. Sure it took him a little more effort to catch up with classes, but he managed to do it in the end. He turned over a new leaf, and studied really hard. That year was one of my best years in high-school.

As I was a prefect back then, and tended to get a little naggy with the boys in class, some of them nicknamed me “Kai Ma”, meaning Godmother in Cantonese. Aik Keong was one of them. This name never left me even until we left school, and I can still remember his voice when he used to call me that.

Unfortunately, slightly past midnight of 15 January 2010, while travelling by car heading to Sunway, he got into a very bad accident and was killed on the spot. He lost control of the car but as he was all alone, till this day no one knows for certain what the cause was. Could it have been fatigue, alcohol, or loss of concentration on the road because he was messing with his phone? He was, after all, in touch with some friends via SMS right before he crashed.

Just like that, someone’s friend, son, husband and father perished. The afternoon of his passing was the same day his wife found out that she was pregnant with his second child. Really heart-wrenching L

I pray that his family will have the strength to overcome this loss, and I’m very sure that the memory of him will remain in the hearts of many. Goodbye to a dear “Kai Zhai”. May you rest in peace as you are led to greater beauty, greater glory and greater holy presence.

The Farewell

It’s been quite a long hiatus.

Since my last entry, much has happened. Closure to 2010 was certainly not how I expected it to be, but as I age, gain wisdom and experience more, the flash back for the year wasn’t just about how much was accomplished or gained in the year anymore. It was about how 2010 was lived.

2010 had been a very eventful year -- A very good friend (now family) discovered her pregnancy of “phoenix” twins; I left my job for “family pastures”; I started dabbling in online business/blogging; J and I got married; I saw Europe for the first time in my life; I moved and adapted to T-eeny town; Dad got diagnosed with some heart complications; and as bad as the year's closure can get, I lost a friend.

Who would have thought, that at the tender age of 27, one could have a heart attack. As they frequently highlight these days, it gets younger and younger. A hard worker, dedicated leader, and very giving friend, we got to know each other in our first year of college. In the same foundation class, he was quiet, but yet when he opened his “golden mouth” (we then called it), he was full of humorous sarcasm which cracked us up.

Years went by and we completed our tertiary education. Hardly hanging out anymore, we met only during the wee occasions of Chinese New Year and few little outings. Though rare and few, I appreciate the memories of how he, Gwen and I used to sit together at the dinner tables.

The day I received news of his passing was just a day after my return to KL. Call it coincidence but I’m sure God planned it in such a way that I was able to at least see my friend for the last time before he was laid down to rest.

The whole incident was an eye opener. That we should never take people around us for granted. Certainly, his passing wasn’t the first ever in my life, but it sure was one of the least expected.

Cliched as it may sound, life is short. A person may have only a month more to live, but if it was lived to the full, it was a life well lived.

I’m sure he’s well taken-cared of now. Farewell to our one and only Ching Hwee Yeung (24 February 1983 – 17 December 2010). Gwen and I are gonna miss you this CNY Dinner.