ALL UNDER ONE ROOF

Some people come into your life without warning or being invited. If you did not welcome them, you will not realize what you will miss. One of them was my firstborn almost 20 years ago. Despite the precautions we took, he had to enter our life. He was a bundle of joy to us but not for long. We look back at those 19 plus years and say no regret, or we should we say too late to regret. I think he is a bright and intelligent but not as bright or as intelligent as he thinks. He is kind, thoughtful and well mannered but he has yet to make us proud.

Another was our dog. Without invitation, he walked into our home and life on that fateful day of the eclipse 2009......tiny, black and hopeful. Not a dog lover, we were full of reluctance but those endearing eyes just melted our heart away. He is bright and intelligent (more than he knows). Confident and mild mannered, we cannot help being proud of him.

My eldest daughter is the only one who came as planned. Even her birth date was predetermined. We were so eager to receive her that we forced her into this world prematurely. We will never know if this has affected her permanently. She is one person who is full of contradictions. She is gangly yet graceful. flat footed yet not, she is quiet yet noisy, beautiful yet ugly. Chinese yet her lips say she is black.

This is the difficult one. A wise person once said, if you think things can't get worse, its only probably you lack sufficient imagination. Well, we had no imagination at all when we took our adopted son in. The first three years were the most difficult part of our life. Its like picking a boy out of all wilderness. He was lost, oblivious and stupid (I think he still is). After almost four year of teaching, nurturing and repeated killing, there is only a trace of the old him. In this case, I have to say I am proud of us.

The baby of the family was the reluctant one. We tried having her for a long time before she decided to join us. She has grown into a mature, pretty young lady. She is however too precocious, too outgoing and has hormone oozing out of her every pore. We have decided to put her and not the dog on the leash. The only thing bigger than her personality is her nose.

This one came into our home on the pretension of looking for a job. She is one hell of a character and bigger hell of a driver. She is one who gets under your skin and burrow her way deep into the heart, whether you like it or not. Although our life may not crumble without her, our house definitely will.

Then there is one who actually had the privilege of receiving us into our new house. Jobless and penniless at that time she has decided to be part of our family. She is one who has a great need to love and be loved. She can be spontaneous and rash at times, to the point of causing many to worry. But these exact qualities and the air of naivety about her is what makes her fresh, and beautiful inside out.

And there are those who entered our life because they know somebody who know somebody. They had the connection, and that connection was love. Some came in timid, shy, unsure of herself and more unsure of us. Then there are those who were comfortable from the word go.

Its true, without us, there is no them

Without them, there will be no worries, headache or heartbreak

Without them, there will be no pain, quarrels and squabbles

But without them, there will be no joy or laughter

No home-cooked food or air of festivity

There will be no live music or spontaneity

Without them, we will not learn about patience, hope and second chances

Without them we will not know the true meaning of giving and forgiving

Without them, we will not be able to build a foundation

And try to pass on a legacy

Without them, the house will not be a home

Without them, the backyard will not be our playground

Our hard work and reason for living will amount to nothing

Without them, LOVE will not multiply. XXXXXXX

(P/S. Feel like joining us?....... take a number!