Lost & Found

The big fella was barking unreservedly - earnestly calling out to its master. He was tied up to a traffic light at a busy city centre junction - a big, black & beautiful dog. It was a rather unusual sight to see a dog in the middle of a business district - alone and its master nowhere in sight. I could see though - he was barking at a cafeteria nearby. Maybe its master was in there buying breakfast and had to tie the dog outside.

Not understanding why he was left alone in a foreign place - he got frightened and barked endlessly. He barked at the cafeteria, and at people all around him - people waiting for the green man at the pedestrian crossing. From the way he barked and moved his body up and down, scanning all directions - I could see his lostlessness and desperation. His eyes especially when he turned to bark at my direction - I could see that he was almost crying out for help - as if to say, "please somebody, help, I'm looking for my master."

If an animal can sense such loss, abandonment and aloneness in a foreign environment - how much more a human being left to fend for himself/herself with no family, kin or friends?

I am fortunate to have family, warmth, love, shelter and provision all my years. There are times when I wish I didn't have to answer to the many questionings and put up with the many unreasonable acts of family members. But realising that there are individuals and dear ones out there who do not have a family, much less a loving one - to call their own - but only their two feet and a strong heart to fend for themselves - I think we who have families are many times over fortunate and blessed.

Quality Relationship

We can never spend enough time with the ones we love and care about. Family, friends, colleagues, buddies - though the level of intimacy differs, at the end of each journey with different ones, we always lament at the lack of time spent with them. A colleague of mine recently left the firm. As I bid her farewell on her last day of work, I felt a tinge of regret at not spending time with and knowing her more. There was that moment of awkwardness that could not be replaced with lots of goodbyes and take cares.

Lesson learnt: As they say, it's not about the quantity of time spent with loved ones - it's about the quality of time spent in learning, discovering, accepting, loving and caring for others that truly matters.