The gift of thoughtfulness

I used to take a thoughtful act for granted. You stand in line at a supermarket with a trolley full of stuff. The lady behind you is holding a crying baby in her arms and struggling with a basket of groceries, you let her go first of course. Nothing to it. Just a simple act. But not everyone can be so thoughtful.

I'm glad to have some really thoughtful friends. Ask them to do something and zing, it's done in a blink of an eye (I'm talking about you Steph! *wink*). Some are even better. They offer before you even ask. Like the time my friends came over to my place and fixed the blown light bulbs and offered to buy energy saving ones.

I even receive thougthful acts from friends living across the world and can often feel their positive vibes coming through. (Uncanning intuition right, MH?). Some never forget your birthday or send you little cards. They remember to ask how things are going and lend a listening ear. They offer sincere and meaningful advice, they make you feel loved and cherished not just during special occasions but through all seasons.

Talking about seasons, we're ushering in a new year soon. For the Chinese community, our new year starts on 26 January with lots of auspicious customs, food and gestures. For the kids, receiving a big fat 'ang pow' (red packet with money stuffed inside) is something they all look forward to gleefully.

With the recent purchase of my apartment and the failing economy, I'm afraid my ang pows this year have shrunken to emaciated proportions. Now that I'm shackled to my mortgage and household expenses, I miss those blissful and carefree days when we were living with my parents. How I took my parents' thoughtful acts for granted!

So kiddos, if you receive a tiny ang pow from me, please smile and say thank you. Try to remember all the thougthful acts I have done all these years and hope the next new year will be a prosperous one.