Archive for the 'People' Category

Feeling blessed

Published
by
jleung
on March 18, 2008
in People
. 2 Comments

Apparently alcohol doesn’t put me to sleep, but keeps me awake. (Don’t worry, I didn’t have very much).

Lately I’ve been reflecting on my University experiences, and I’ve been feeling a little disappointed that I haven’t developed many “deep, long-lasting” relationships with people as I think I should’ve.  As I thougt about it, I felt as if not many ppl that would want to “keep in touch” with me after University. Perhaps my bouts of loneliness have been because I’m out of touch right now (see post on Lent). But what is life without relationships? I believe that God values relationships and relationships are what matter in the end.  So I thought about the reasons why I don’t have as many close University friends as I “should”.  Maybe my lack of close friends is a by-product of being in co-op (I too, have been feeling like a nomad with no place to set my roots). I considered whether there was an inherent flaw in my personality - perhaps I’m just a bad friend, or have poor social skills, or maybe I stink. (hopefully it’s not the last one:P)

But a good friend reminded me that maybe my assumptions of having “many deep, long-lasting” relationships is not really the right one to have.  Not everyone has plenty of close relationships from University.  As well, it’s the choices I’ve made that have put me in this place. Although there may be SOME bad things that have resulted, I also have grown through those choices. Plus, when I think about it, I’m really blessed cuz I do have a couple of friends who have been there for me and who I can always pick up where we left off….ppl I can pour my heart to and who I can count on. (You know who you are:))

So yeah, I feel blessed right now. Not only for friends, but for family. As much as we get on each other’s nerve, I love them and they love me. Plus they HAVE to love me. HA! Like last Sunday….my parents rushed after church to buy me groceries so Auntie Linda could drive them up for me. :) Alex, you know I love you too…praying for you too.  Thanks for fixing my blog.

I guess it’s being thankful for what you have, not what is missing.

G-dog - without you, I was fine (Miss Independent - “boys suck, who needs them?”). With you, life has been sweeter, my walk better… I don’t blog about u mostly cuz I think it grosses ppl out. Whatever. I’m not entirely coherent anyways.

Thank you.

Live Your Life

Published
by
jleung
on March 1, 2008
in Faces 'n Places, People, Quotes, That's life and Things to come
. 0 Comments

It sort of dawned on me, that after almost 4 years of University…I can almost say being a student at Waterloo is second nature to me. Except it wasn’t always like this. I was reading back on my old blog entries, and I realize just how difficult it was, to decide what University to attend. Now, I don’t doubt my decision to that it was in God’s plan for me to be here. I can’t imagine what life would be like if I had chosen another school…but I probably would not be the person I am today. I’m so thankful that I’m in Health Studies and not a pure science program because I realized that I really don’t like science that much. I’m glad I’m in co-op because I’ve gotten to experience work struggles as well. I’m thankful for the friendships I’ve made and for those “upper-years” who made a special effort to care for me when I was a frosh.

On Thursday this week, in my Health 352 (Sociology of Aging) class, my prof showed a documentary called Bunny & Leona. The documentary was about two sisters, Bunny (her real name is Maxine) and Leona, and their struggles as they adjust to living in a nursing home and a retirement lodge, respectively. Bunny, who suffered from MS for a large part of her life, had a stroke that left her nearly paralyzed and thus, she needed complex care. Leona, who’s the older sister of Bunny, never married, but helped Bunny raise her 4 kids and she never had a life of her own. She was always with family and it was a hard transition for her to live in a retirement lodge.

But the hardest part was watching the documentary was seeing Bunny go from being one of those grannies you love - funny, sweet, optimistic, to become a recluse who’s physical condition is slowly deteriorating, and who never smiles…it really made me feel sorry for her. Although I know that for the most part, older adults age well and don’t experience drastic declines in QOL (quality of life), I’m scared of aging. I really don’t want to end up in a nursing home, where 70% of the residents have some sort of dementia. To be honest, I’d rather die young than have to be in that situation… Pretty unthankful eh? It also makes me think about how I’m going to handle my two aging parents… Although Bunny had 4 kids, none of them took them into their care because she required a level of care that they couldn’t provide. She needed help with all of her ADLs - activities of daily living, including dressing, using the bathroom, eating…

It made me want to Live my Life. Yeah, it sounds like I’m promoting American Eagle. What does that mean? I feel like I’m missing out on opportunities to really live because I’m too caught up in my fear, in general busyness with the school… “Living life to the fullest”…that’s what I want to do. Not that that means going out there and partying it up…but I guess it’s being thankful for what you have, and enjoying the moment when it’s there, smiling at it as you remember the past.  As well, I remember that Jesus said The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10).  True meaning and purpose comes from living life in Christ.

Time’s a ticking…In the words of Andy Dufrense, the main character from The Shawshank Redemption (one of the greatest movies I’ve seen:P) Get busy living, or get busy dying.

I miss you

Published
by
jleung
on February 27, 2008
in Old school, People and That's life
. 1 Comment

I miss the way things used to be. I miss the friendship we shared… I wish things didn’t have to change. I wish we didn’t have to grow up. I guess God puts people in your life at different times, for different reasons. Perhaps I was naive to think things wouldn’t change.

Life changes, people move on…but memories remain.

I don’t deal well with change

Published
by
jleung
on December 21, 2007
in People, Rants, That's life and Things to come
. 0 Comments

So lately I’ve been feeling more and more out of place at Jaffray.  Maybe it’s because I’ve been away in Waterloo for so long now.  I feel disconnected and like I don’t really belong sometimes.  And then I miss the people I grew up with, the way things used to be.  I’m like the oldest female at fellowship on any given day…I don’t feel like I have older ppl to really connect with and I’m so used to having that.  I guess I have to be the big sister now.

I don’t deal well with change.  I think I’ve said that before.  I like stability and knowing the people I care about and who care about me will be there in the future.  There are few people my age around and I feel like there will be less in the future.  It bothers me cuz I don’t really know how to connect with people at Jaffray who are younger than me.  I don’t know…It sucks growing up sometimes.

Christmas came a little early this year…

Published
by
jleung
on November 10, 2007
in Faces 'n Places and People
. 0 Comments

So I thought today would be a super lonely day because for the second weekend in a row, my housemates both went home.  But things took a turn when Miss Pink messaged me and asked if she could drop by with some “guests”.  I was a little puzzled, but I didn’t think much of it.  Anyways, its turns up, Melbee, Lyris and Hoimin drove down to visit the ‘loo-ers:)   I got to chill a bit and take a break from the books.  And I got some grocery shopping done too!  After that we went to Ben Tanh’s…took over an hour to get seated but s’all good.  Highlight of the night: “armpit sauce” (our table collectively agreed that the fish sauce smells like armpit).

Thanks especially to Mowe for the early Christmas gift of oatmeal raisin coooookies!!  What a treat!