We hear when we love.........

Once I sleep, I am like a piece of wood. Lightning and thunder cannot wake me up.

Once when I was studying in Canada, my flatmates were filled with envy when everyone except me, woke up because of the din caused by police siren. Someone was badly assaulted at the car park. When the fire alarm was accidentally triggered, I slept right through! I only woke up when my flatmates banged continuously on my door for a few minutes. "Choo, if there were really a fire, you would be a human charcoal by now!" said Jeffrey with sheer exasperation.

When I met my cousin, Swan, in Kuala Lumpur, she recalled the incident when I rolled off the bench while sleeping, and despite landing on the floor with a resounding thud, I never even stirred and continued to sleep.!

When I was in Primary Five, I could hear and see papa's pain and sadness. I took my little piggy bank and broke it, giving papa all my coins which I had painstakingly put aside each day. Papa was touched by my little gesture and to this day, I could still remember the joy on his face. Papa was relieved that his youngest child could sense his worries and hear the cries in his heart.

Yet, when I first adopted my first pet puppy, Kamlette, I woke up the moment she whimpered in the middle of the night for want of food. Her slightest bark would wake me up as I checked on her towels which could be wet from urination.

A couple of years ago, eldest brother visited Singapore and stayed with me. Since my tenants were still staying with me, I let brother have my room while I slept in the living room. One early morning I heard brother calling my name. I woke up and was alarmed to find that he had slipped and fallen on the kitchen floor and was feeling unwell.

Now I am dog-sitting Toby, the cute and lovely pug belonging to Gayatri. Toby is a timid and affectionate dog and follows me around the flat. Hence, her bed is at the foot of my bed. Once I heard her whimpering and woke up to find a frightened little dog, shivering because of the heavy rain. Toby, like most dogs, is terrified of lightning and thunder.

Hence from the above, I can conclude that we hear when we love......Hence, let us continue to "hear" the unspoken words and pain of our loved ones. Sometimes, our loved ones find it hard to voice the pain and sufferings which are bottled up. Let us not just hear with our ears or see with our eyes, but use all our faculties when we interact with one another. Hence relationship with one another will be enhanced and bonding becomes stronger.

Gan Chau