it is the time of the year for chinese dumplings again... it is a time when families gather n celebrate n feast...but i've not had the chance to celebrate this occasion with my family for the past 8 years now. first i was in university, n there were no holidays coinciding with this date. nor did i get the chance to return once i started working, for i was saving my holidays for chinese new year, which takes precedence. however, not once did i miss out on the delicious dumplings throughout the years, thanks to the generousity of my friends. some maybe inclined to buy the dumplings when they are far from home, but to me, the commercial ones sharpen my longing for my mom's delicious homemade ones. hence when i was offered one in my first year at uni, i was delighted. the dumpling was evermore special, because my friend who stayed near campus brought back the tasty treasures, homemade by her grandma. n she was generous enough to share her "precious" with me.
the trend continued and over the years, i have received dumplings from numerous friends, all homemade, all tasty.
even more generous are friends who open up their homes and their hearts to us. in their cosy abode, even a simple cup of tea becomes mead, for we eat what they eat, we drink what they drink. it doesn't matter that u do not share the same surname, when u cross the threshold, u are part of the family. it is ur home away from home.
the list of their acts of generousity grows-in all deeds, big or small. innumerous and invaluable. how can i ever repay what they have done for me? i can only begin to try... it is a monumental task, for which there is only one solution. to pass on the generousity i have received and multiply it by ten fold, and perhaps one day, the list will be done. but i hope not, for a neverending list means that my friends never stop giving and sharing, and i won't too.
in difficult times, friends are the support framework which carries us through when the family is far. without them, life would indeed be hard and lonely. we may not have been able to make it as far alone as we would have with the help of friends. in joy, friends not only share the moment, but they double it, for what is good fortune if it is not to be shared?
my heartfelt gratitude to those who have not only walked beside me and but carried me in my hour of need.
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