This is what i called Bravery

I ended school early and here i am! At home at 5pm! :) Had a test in the morning and follow by a 4 hr lab. Thank God it's 4 hrs only! instead of the normal 6 hrs!

I went to NUH yesterday after school to visit my JAMS student, Genny. Genny is very pretty, cute, slim, and petite and she's only 11 years old. She is my favourite girl and I like her so much! Genny is an autistic child. Whenever i help out in the Jams, i would specialize in taking care of her. As she couldn't communicate verbally, it would be good if someone looks after her so I'll be there to accompany her around, make sure she behave properly. As i am always with her and we had the same hair style, people always call us sisters, say that we look alike. lOl..i think it's because of the hair style but i feel really honoured to look like her! When i first started taking care of her, many other students will come up to me and say, "Teacher Myrna, is she your sister??" or not the jams workers will always ask me, "Where is your meimei?". It's like, she couldn't talk at all..and it seems that we don't communiciate, but somehow she understands what i'm saying, she will auto hold my hand and follow me wherever i go. But there are many times when i really got to run after her when she wants her way, like chionging to the cafe to eat her biscuit, refusing to go to the hall as the music is too loud for her. I remember got 1 time, she refused to come out of the lift and i accompany her taking the lift for 1 hour plus, till service ends. haha i guess i went up and down the JW building for more than 20-30 times!!

Genny was admitted to hospital as she had an operation on her backbone. her backbone is C shape, so it is curved out, and it's quite prominent. When i went to the ICU to see her, she's sleeping and her mum was sitting beside her and taking a nap. Conincidentally, her 2 relatives came and the 4 of us went out to the patient lounge to talk. I was really very xin tong when i saw her...Her eyes is very swollen and red. And both her arms and nose are full with tubes and needles. Initially i thought the swollen eyes are the after-effect of the operation but her mum told us that it's because she has been crying ever since she was admitted to hospital. She refused to let the nurses come near her to poke the needles and she struggled like anything. Don't look at her small frame, she struggled so much that the nurses and the mum are bruised. Auntie showed me her blue black and it's really quite a hard hit. Partly because she is in a foreign environment that's why she's so scared..

As i was talking to the mum..i just felt something very different about auntie. I can tell very obviously from her eyes that she is very tired..Yet, there's something in her eyes that sparks.

The sparks that her eyes contain are resilence, fortitude and bravery.

A woman, who is so strong in her spirit.

Even though Genny's brother is a handicap, but aunty's optimism really blow me away :)

Sometimes when we think we could give that person some comfort and hoping our presence will bring them some comfort and peace, but in fact, we are the one being comforted. I felt so encouraged by her. After i left the hospital, i was so touched by her optimisim, hope and joy that she has in her life and her children. She jokingly told me, "I told the doctor that maybe when Genny feels pain, she will scream, "Mummy! Pain!" That would then be the first time she talk!"

I looked at her, and smile.

She's a beautiful mother.

A mother who devoted her whole life to the lives of her 2 children.

Maybe some of us couldn't get out of our traumatic past, our disappointments, our failed relationships..There will surely be a period where we mourn and cry over it. But, there must be a time when we got to set our mind to get out of it. Decide. And go. No matter how big and how small the situation is, we must set our hearts to get out of it. Definitely,we ourselves can't do it on our own. That's what friends are for :)

I admired Genny's mum. I admired her courage to go forth and do what she wants to do. Despite all difficulties, she has done so well :)

I can never forget the hope i saw in her eyes for her children.

I can never forget how she sees a miracle, healing in her beloved daugther..

This is what i really call...

Bravery.



:)