Name:Josephine Location: Sydney, Australia Birthday:6/28/1982
Interests:AQUATIC life, Pastel colours, Angelina Jolie, Bohemian & Vintage and Figure Skating Expertise:Cheering people up, and pissing people off. Home decor... and Search Engine Marketing! Occupation:Computer related (Internet) Industry:Media
I couldn't believe that we were all sitting in Masuya again - Theresa, Kelly and Lisa and many others, of course. I mean, it's been quite some time that we were celebrating any birthdays together that it seemed surreal to have them back in Sydney. In fact, I could've been in Taiwan in that setting!
Nonetheless, it was a good night. I'm very happy to be part of it. It's kind of crazy how young at heart we are. I hope we continue to be this way even when we're celebrating our 69th birthdays!
Just two day before Mothers Day (Friday), Willie and I had finished up a long week working on a sales pitch and picked him up from his grandparents after dinner. I was manning the car while Willie picked him up. When the two of them opened the door to the car park, Seth was holding a beautifully wrapped gift. The excitement on the little boy's face was unmistakable. Willie put him down and he ran towards the driver seat of the car with the gift yelling, 'Maaammmmi'. As he reached the door, he tripped over - SPLAT! And the gift went flying into the air. Luckily it was only made of cardboard so nothing was broken. I got out of the driver's seat quickly to help him up and felt a stab in my heart when he sobbed, 'Mammmii...the present for your Happy Mothers Day...' as he pointed to the gift that had landed a metre away from him. What a beautiful moment....is there such thing as painfully beautiful? Anyways, that would be it.
Seth had made a beautiful cardboard vase with red heart and flower stickers on stuck around the top of it and crayon drawings. It's not what an artist would call 'pretty' but to me, it was the most beautiful vase in the world. That was the start to the Mothers Day weekend.
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On Sunday, the Pang family woke nice and early for our Sunday church service at Wesley in Macquarie Park. (Three weeks ago, our dear Christian friend Jon Teo and their family with the help of my parents, took us back into God's house and helped us find a place where Willie and I felt very drawn to. We hope to be able to connect with God through regular worship services with these beautiful people...anyways.. I'll save this for another post.) This service was different to the normal ones where the kids would go into Sunday school, or Kingdom Kids, while the adults would attend the service. This day, the kids were out at the front of the hall, singing and listening to the awesome Pastor Andy. All mothers were praised and everyone felt the warmth of the meaning to Mothers Day. Whether your mother was on earth, in heaven, overseas or in a sad place, everyone thanked God for his blessings for our mothers and the hard work she put into bringing us into the world. All mothers walked away from that service feeling very special, with a hand made card (from the previous week's Kingdom Kids activity) and a book.
After church, Willie had planned the day to start at mum's favourite - Yum Cha. To make a bit more special than Kam Fook, we headed out into the city for that and did a bit of window shopping afterwards.
Then came the lovely surprise for mum....Willie ushered us back to the car at around 3.30pm to prepare for a long drive out to where we would have dinner. I bet mum was thinking, 'Are we going to Canberra for dinner leaving so early?'
So, Willie drove us up the northern beaches, while mum and dad enjoyed the drive and the scenery. They had never been out this way before, believe it or not. Mum spoke about a friend of hers who had recommended a restaurant called, 'Jonah's' up this way and she wished that Dad would take her there one day. The comment came only moments before Willie pulled up a steep road with a sign pointing to 'Jonah's'. Mum almost let out a squeal from her excitement....Willie, we're all very proud of you!
We did arrive an hour earlier than our 6.30pm booking. Mum and Dad indulged in the experience by braving the cold and sitting out on the patio admiring the ocean views. We ordered a few drinks and nibbles before heading in at around 6pm for an early dinner.
Jonah's is seriously impressive. It has got to be one of my favourite restaurants in the world.
The night was truly an amazing experience for everyone.
Thank you, Willie. Thank you for making it so memorable each year. We know that now that you don't have an EA, you're making the booking calls yourself and yes, way in advance. So, for all your forward planning and effort, we love you and appreciate it!
It's been a few years since we have had these girl catch ups. Even though we're missing a few key figures, the stars are starting to align. This city is definitely more colourful when the girls are around. Maybe I can enjoy living in Sydney afterall....maybe...
Count all those many things you have ever given to yourself, and then ask: “What real meaning have they today?” Then reflect a moment on those things of meaning you gave to others at a cost to yourself. By such retrospective you will make this glad discovery: the true meaning of giving is better found in what you are willing to take from yourself.
Thank You, Michelle. For the positive reinforcement...and the power of introspection.
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