2010年6月20日，大约晚上将近凌晨12点，我收到亚历山大医院的来电。我得知母亲的病情恶化并紧急部门的医生要给她氧气的器具来帮助她呼吸。

我便把这样的消息为成全母亲要在家里离开这世界的心愿。因此凌晨1点半我已在救伤车赶着带母亲回家。

当母亲凌晨2点到达家时，我父亲，弟兄姐妹和他们的孩子都感到松了一口气。当我们把母亲放在她的床上时，她已不省人事了。每个人都轮流来慰问她而我一直握着她的手并握住在她脸上的那个氧气面罩。

童年和许多母亲为我们所作的事的情景像影像似的在我脑海里呈现。我一直轻声唱‘世上只有妈妈好’来战胜我的悲伤。

时钟的敲响，我知道母亲很快就将离我们而去。我想起一到达医院我有机会向她表达我对她最后的爱意时令我很开心。在我们还没离开医院前，她还清醒即使她呼吸有困难。

母亲因她的病情受了很多的苦。当她因得了胰腺癌入院后，她已有多过两个月没有吃过一餐。去年，她曾因结肠癌而动过手术。这只是大约八个月前所发生的。她度过了除去胰腺14小时的手术和其他主要的器官但因病菌的感染使到病情恶化无法抗拒。

约凌晨3点，我们都感到筋疲力尽，我离开母亲前，我给了母亲的额头第一个也是最后一个吻。15分钟后，我的妻子呼叫我，母亲已断气了。一小时后，我和儿子去签了母亲的死亡证书。

当我看到母亲无动于衷和已无气息的身躯时，我发现生命的短促。的确生命像雾一般一会儿出现，一会儿消失。当人离开这世界会去哪里呢？

母亲二十岁嫁给父亲加入这个大家庭。我们从前与祖父母、叔伯、阿姨和堂兄弟姐妹都住在乡村的大房子。

母亲身为大媳妇因此她要担任许多的家务事和在家附近的农活。我也听说母亲除了照顾自己的孩子以外也要帮忙照顾幼小的叔姨们。她是位好媳妇。她不允许祖父因糖尿病切除脚，我大约记得她常常洗换祖父的伤口直到祖父离世为止。

我回忆起我小时跌倒了，母亲如何用咖啡粉察在我额头的伤口。我记起母亲带我去学校买课本。我如何被母亲责备因迟到帮助她洗衣的回忆呈现在我眼前。

我更不会忘记我在10岁那年曾发誓不吃榴槤因为我的顽皮因此我已35年未曾吃过。我很感激母亲没有溺爱我们并从小就常常管教我们。父亲说是因母亲的严厉带大弟妹们
使他们现在成为‘好人’。

母亲了解初期我们都经历了很多困难因此她都把每分都存在银行的定期留给我们。母亲过着很简朴的生活。她曾牺牲很多并经历许多苦难。她的心愿是希望透过她的爱心伺候自己的孩子和父亲的弟妹们都能过着舒适并成功的生活。

我们对母亲亏欠很多，没有了她我们就没有今天。母亲，谢谢您的爱和为我们所牺牲的。

(罗利永给母亲张亚尼女士的致敬 (16/07/2010)

I received a call from the Alexandra Hospital at 11.50pm on 20/6/2010. I was told that mother’s condition was turning for very worst and the ICU doctor wanted to ventilate her artificially with a machine. I took this as a cue to arrange for her discharge to fulfill her wish to die at home. By 1.30am I was already in the ambulance racing against time to fetch her home.

My dad, siblings and their children appeared relieved to see my mother being brought home at 2am. Mother has lapsed into unconsciousness by the time we laid her on her bed. Everyone took their turn to greet her while I clasped her hands gently and held the oxygen mask over her face.

Scenes of my childhood and memories of what mother has done for all of us flashed through my mind like a movie. I kept humming the Chinese song ‘世上只有妈妈好(Mother is the best in this world) to help me cope with the profound sadness that was beginning to take its hold over me.

The clock was ticking and I knew my beloved mother was leaving us soon. I was glad that she heard my final declarations of love for her, which I made when I arrived at the hospital. She was still conscious even though she was gasping for breath before we left the hospital.

My mother suffered much during her recent sickness. She had not eaten a single meal for over 2 months since her admission for cancer of the pancreas. This was barely 8 months after her earlier operation to remove her colon cancer last year. She survived 14 grueling hours of surgery to remove the cancer of the pancreas and other major organs but the complication from fungus infection was too formidable to overcome.

At 3am, we were all tired. I gave my mother the first and last kiss on her forehead before leaving. Fifteen minutes later my wife who stayed behind called. “Mother has taken her last breath”, she said. I returned an hour later with my son to sign the death certificate…of my own mother!

As I saw her motionless and lifeless body, I couldn’t help but confront the reality that life is so brief. It is indeed like a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Where do people go when they leave this world?

Mother married dad at the age of 20 and became a part of our extended family. We used to live in a large kampong house with our grandparents, several uncles, aunties and my cousins. Being the eldest daughter in law, mother had to take care of many household chores as well as the farm near our compound.

I was told she also had to take care of dad’s younger siblings on top of bringing up her own children. She was a good daughter in law. Because of her diligence in taking care of my diabetic grandfather, he did not need to have his leg amputated. I recall quite vividly how she would remember and take pains to clean and dress the foul smelling wounds for my grandfather every day until he passed away.

I recall how she lovingly applied coffee powder on a laceration on my forehead after an injury in the belief that it would stop the bleeding before carrying me by feet to the nearest clinic some 2km away from home. I remember how she walked with me to school to buy textbooks for me. I recall how she chided me whenever I was late to help her with the laundry. These bitter sweet moments constantly flash through my mind.

I cannot forget how I made a vow not to eat durians after being caned for my mischievous behavior relating to durians when I was just 10 years old. As a result of the vow, I refrained from eating durians for over 30 years.

I am also glad my mother did not spare the rod and spoil us when we were young. Dad said my brothers and sister grow up to become ‘good people’ because of my mother’s firm hand.

Mother knew about the hardship of poverty and did not want us to go through the same so she saved every cent, even the money we gave her- she kept in fixed deposits for us.

My mother led a simple life. She was a fighter who made many sacrifices and went through many hardships. Her desire was for her children and all my dad’s younger siblings to have a comfortable and successful life through her labor of love.

We owe so much to my mother, without whom, we will not be here today. Thank you, mother for your love and sacrifices for all of us.

(Written by Low Lee Yong as a tribute to his mother, Mdm. Teo Ah Nee on 16 July 2010)

A very touching story between a father, a son and a sparrow

A battle between a pride of lions, a herd of buffalo, and 2 crocodiles at a watering hole in South Africa’s Kruger National Park while on safari.

It is inspiring to see how the herd of buffalo unite to save a young buffalo which was attacked by the lions.

I just got this piece of sad news that the SingHealth’s Group chief operating officer, Dr Wong Yue Sie has died after developing a massive stroke at the age of 49. Dr Wong underwent an emergency surgery after his stroke last Friday but succumbed to the severity of the condition yesterday. Dr Wong is a good man and a gifted doctor and administrator. He was the former Chief of the SAF Medical Corps. He was seconded to Ren Ci Hospital as its chief executive officer upon the request of the Ministry of Health. Life is indeed short and unpredictable. What is the meaning of life? Why are we here?

Life is a like a vapor! “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14

I was walking down life’s highway a long time ago.
One day I saw a sign that read, “Heaven’s Grocery Store”.
As I got a little closer the door came open wide,
And when I came to myself I was standing inside.
I saw a host of Angels, they were standing everywhere.
One handed me a basket and said “My Child shop with care.”
Everything a Christian needs is in that grocery store,
And all you can’t carry, come back the next day for more.

First, I got some Patience, Love was in the same row.
Further down was Understanding, needed everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of Wisdom, a bag or two of Faith,
I just couldn’t miss the Holy Ghost, it was all over the place.
I stopped to get some Strength and Courage to help me run this race,
But then my blanket was getting full, and I remembered I needed Grace.

I didn’t forget Salvation, which like the others was free,
So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.
Then I started to the counter to pay my grocery bill,
For I thought I had everything to do my Master’s will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw Prayer and had to put it in,
For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run right into sin.
Peace and Joy were plentiful, they were on the last shelf.
Song and Praises were hanging near, so I just helped myself.

Then I said to the Angel, “How much do I owe”?
The Angel smiled and said, “Just take them everywhere you go.”
Again, I politely asked “How much do I really owe?”
The Angel smiled again and said,
“My Child, Jesus Paid Your Bill A Long Time Ago.”

— 1990 Ron DeMarco & Friend