This one's for you, Mr Q

You came into my life, like a little unexpected surprise. Like a shooting star in a pitch black sky.


Unassuming, unpretentious, vulnerable. You were there from my very first day in hospital.

I'm glad I stopped by that first time, and I'm glad I continued to stop by every day from then on.


You brought humanity into the everyday bustle around me, emotions into the sometimes mechanical task of taking care of the sick. You made me remember pain, fear, courage -- even in the face of that lurking enemy called death.


You and your wife -- you both taught me so much, just by being yourselves, and by allowing me into your lives.

You warmed my heart by your tangible love for each other. How she would stroke your head and kiss you before she left for home every day; how your eyes would brim over with tears whenever she arrived late. You were so worried about her taking the bus alone every day. She's your angel.

You showed me that the most precious of things -- love, faith, peace, hope, courage -- transcend barriers of language and culture. I never learnt very much more than Chao and manejar, but many times we didn't really need the words. 

In bits and pieces, you told me things. Stories of the tango you loved, and how she would always step on your feet. Stories of your children. You never failed to ask where I went during the weekends. You even told me once, upon coming in one Monday morning, that I should take time to party, and siesta too.

I'm glad I was with you throughout your surgery. And though I've eventually come to know that it wasn't a final cure, and that you may never be fully cured, I'm still thankful. Thankful that you're so much better now. Thankful that you've been given a little more time; thankful that you're well enough to spend that precious time with the ones you love the most.


And I'm so thankful that today, you packed up and left Bed Three. You said thank you and farewell to the kind nurses, and with a twinkle in your eye, you told me not to cry as you kissed my forehead. I laughed and said I shouldn't! You've been away from family for so long, and your grandsons can't wait for their Abuelo to finally come home. 

It's where you've always wanted to be.

Thank you, and goodbye, Mr Q. Although there's no other place I'd rather have you be, I will miss you dearly.

Things that make me smile

It hasn't been easy. Busyness has caught up quite a bit, unfortunately, but here are just a few things that have punctuated my life and made me smile still. Appreciating little moments, precious things that catch the heart, or just funny catchphrases.

 

Small girl, big building.

Rabbits scampering across my path in campus. The reason I don't have a photograph? Well, I did say "scampering". :)

 

Black humour, I know. Especially with all the Criminal Minds episodes I've been watching lately. Blame my appreciation on tiredness. Haha! 

But we gotta give them credit, they really do know how to make ads that catch the eye. 

 

Nothing like the deep blue of the sea, the smell of the salty breeze and the majestic sound of the crashing waves, to remind us how small we are. And how big He is.

Quite possibly the yummiest waffles I've ever had. The chocolate streaks alone make this a winner, and Max Brenner a genius. I like. 

And those of you who know Mandy will know that foodie makes her happie. Very. :D

Up, up and away. I wish I could fly, like a big red balloon, without a care in the world, wherever the wind takes me. Wishful thinking. :)

  

It was Valentine's Day, and he was writing a card. He took a good twenty minutes at the table, and I watched as he stopped often to gaze off into the distance, deep in thought, then smile and continue to write.   

I wondered about the recipient of the card. And smiled to know that someone out there is deeply loved and cared for.

 

Aud and her camera are simply the best when it comes to taking jump shots. 

This was Take One. :) 

My consultant has a lovely office, with glass panels for windows, letting lots of good ol' blue sky and warm sunshine in. And as I sat there today, I was captured by a breathtaking sight.

I've never seen anything like it before. A bunch of white birds soaring across the sky. And they weren't just an ordinary pack of white birds -- the underside of their wings were the most lovely shade of yellow, creating a moving work of art across the clouds. 

Was so blown away it's a wonder I'm not in Africa by now. ;)

I later learnt that my avian friends were salmon-crested cockatoos, and this is the best picture I can get of them (though, just like all photographs attempting to capture beauty, this one still falls short, and in the sunlight, the underside is a very much more vivid shade of yellow):

 

 Many thanks to Joe Blossom

"The next time it begins to rain... lie down on your belly, nestle your chin into the grass, and get a frog's-eye view of how raindrops fall... The sight of hundreds of blades of grass bowing down and popping back up like piano keys strikes me as one of the merriest sights in the world." 

- Malcolm Margolin -

Sounds like fun. Giving me ideas. :)