Uneventful day is not a bad thing

It has been four months since the incident. Over the past four months, it seemed like most of my energy has been sapped, with hardly any left for other aspects of my life, such as work and guiding Cowen. During this period, I fell sick twice, both for quite a prolonged duration, hence draining even more energy off the already debilitated body. In the past, I could offer 100% of myself in class, immersing myself totally in my lecture, but in the semester that is just over, I must admit that I might have given only 70%.

Reading Lee Wei Ling's article "Uneventful day is not a bad thing" in her ST column struck a chord in me, especially in her concluding paragraphs:

Time is indeed a great healer. For example, my mother's stroke on May 12 last year made me feel like my world had been turned upside down. But over the months, I have been able to accept her disabilities and carry on with life as normally as possible, although when I am with her, I still feel a sense of sadness.

A day passed without something memorable is a day passed without a major disaster or triumph. It is not a bad thing not to have too many memorable days.

We share the same pain as both our mothers suffered a stroke. For me, accepting my mom's disabilities would probably take longer, as I am nowhere as resilient as the doctor.

The day my mom was discharged from her second hospitalisation, it was indeed an eventful day as, apart from all the waiting, a nurse removed my mom's urine catheter by mistake! In the end, they had to re-insert another one. Moreoever, when we reached home, I discovered a new wound on her back under the old one, which had nearly healed.

Though back home after her second hospitalisation, we have lost some ground we gained earlier. She used to be able to utter a word or two, but now she has not spoken a word since her discharge.

I do hope for an eventful day, the day when she can speak, even for just a word or two.

Aaron
20 December 2009