taken for granted...

u know...the weird thing about humans are....they never appreciates something until they lose it...(on a different note, i'm training myself not to use short forms, let's see how it goes)..yeah, back to the thingy....you agree with me? and to make things worse, we often take for granted the people closest to us, the people we meet everyday..not just people, we also take for granted the things we have with us, the priviledges that we enjoy, the surroundings and the atmosphere we live in....we seldom appreciate them until we lose it or are threatened to lose it....

take for example, we live comfortably in our homes, we have everything we need with us, everything is so in order....we have all the facilities and amenities we need....yet we hear ourselves complaining "i can't wait to get outta here...i want to live outside, with a new meaning given to freedom". but when it's time to move out, the freedom that we had once craved for spells.....DREAD! why? because when they have to move out, they realise that they would have to start from scratch...that yes, they may have more freedom (in the sense that they would not be controlled) but that also mean that they would have to live independently and do everything themselves..they would not have the luxury of having delicious home-cooked food served on the dinner table every night...no one to do the laundry for them, no one to make up their beds, no one to do this, no one to do that...and the list goes on and on....and then, people start yearning to go back home....even if that means nagging from parents.....well, of course it's also a matter of adaptability....

on a more personal note: i'm so accustomed to my own lifestlyle now...the thought of leaving home pretty much, scares me! call me a baby! but really...i can't imagine leaving in a place so alien-liked to me....even when i go to posh hotels, i still miss my room, my own bathroom, my everything....it's like i can't live anywhere else...i feel that everything is already so 'perfect' in my own home...i couldn't ask for more.....really! and i believe, one day i'd have to move out to live at hostels, or student residences, or even rent my own place when i further my studies...just the other day i was tellin (wait, it's suppose to be telling) my mom,

"i can't imagine having to live in a room that is half my current room's size and still having to share it with another person that i do not know...."

" i can't imagine having to live with another person all day long, all year long, all say 4-5 years long?" (okie, let me get it straight, that doesn't mean i don't want to get married k? if i get married, it'll be my OWN home, u see?)

and my mom answered me, "you have no choice but to just adapt"

my bro was even smarter, "che, you rent double la....that means u pay the price of 2. so you'll get the whole place to yourself, no need to share"

i said, "what if 4 people were to share a whole house, you rent the entire house?" ;p

actually..i've been going on and on about it...but i'm not even in my main point yet....(no wonder people always say i'm 'cheong hei' -beating around the bush)

my main point: who are the people most often taken for granted? i'd say...none other than the 2 people who love us most.....our PARENTS! they are the ones who care so much about us (over controlling counts, so does over-protective)...they've sacrificed so much for us and still are sacrificing everyday....they will do everything and anything just to provide a better environment for us to grow up in...okie? we won't feel the impact if were to go on this way.....

i'll put it this way...imagine in 10 years time, most of us would be parents ourselves by then (at least, that's what i hope)....you get married, then start a family....before the child was borned, you started planning, started worrying.....you wanted what was best for your child....you bought parenting books, went to parenting seminars....you did everything within your means..... then the child started to grow, initially she was a real sweetheart....your heart would melt everytime she came cuddling you...you'd giggle everytime she babytalked.....and when she sleeps, she's a real angel......when she started pre-school, she became slightly more mischievous....she'd give u a hundred and one suprises everytime you came back home...but you knew she was still a good girl deep inside you, still full of respect and good manners....she'll help you with household chores and love to watch you prepare dinner......

then, the adolescent years (the most rebellious years) - she started receiveing phone calls from boys, this week , it's A, next week it would be B, then C, so on and so forth...she was still doing very well in school (and you thank God for that!).....then you realised that the little angel you onced had in your home started becoming more rebellious...she would answer back...she would challenged you when you made a remark......she hardly helps around the house anymore...she started receiving many invitations to parties, you had no choice but to allow her to go (or else a big argument would have ensued)...you realised that her taste in dressing has also changed....all closed-up to slightly more revealing to revealing to more revealing and to....indistinguishable...

you realised that the gap wasn't getting narrower no matter what you do....instead, it was getting further...she no longer confides in you because she knows very well that you will not approve of her taste in guys......she hardly speaks to you anymore...her only few phrases are "i'm going out", "i need cash", "i'll be back after midnight, don't wait!" "i need to go shopping, can you send me to the mall?"

as you read, you probably nod your head in agreement with me....most of us, or should i say all of us have taken advantage of our parents, taking them for granted because we know that they will always forgive us....but unlike God, their love for us also has its limits..they may love us a lot, but it is still conditional.....after a period of time, they'll give up on us.....do we want to be the children our parents are proud of? or do we want them to shake their heads with deep regret everytime they see us? it's all up to us...our parents, like humans, make mistakes too.....they are no perfect beings.....but everytime they do something that may have been a lil offensive to us, let's take a moment, to pause and to reminisce the past.....they were the ones who had sleepless nights when we had a cold, they were the ones who supported and encouraged us when we were doubtful of certain things....they were the ones who motivated us when we felt like giving up....they were the ones that hugged and comfort us when we came home crying...they were the ones, people!

it is easier said than done, i know....but the next time we get mad, let us not raise our voices, slammed the door or stomp right out of the house and speed off in our cars (which of course was bought by our parents)...let us instead look at them in their eyes and feel the love they have for us....forgiving them just as how they have forgiven you.....and God will forgive all of us....

and so today, i thank my parents for being my two pillars of strength! i truly believed that i've been abundantly blessed by God through my parents......i couldn't have asked for more....

they are my confidantes, my besties, my playmates, my friends.....you name it......

you may be saying to yourself, "licia, you just do not know me...u do not know my situation..yes, you may be more fortunate" but wait, let me tell you ( i know i've no rights to...) all it takes is a lil change in our attitude and in our mindsets...really...give it a try before denying the opportunity.....after all, they were the ones who raised us to be what we are today!

PAPA AND MIE, I LOVE YOU!!!

p/s: ah boy, i know i've taken advantage of you many times too (btw, you have too)..but how come you weren't mentioned? i'll dedicate a whole post to you, soon!