I Have Become A Millionaire Written by : Reiki Sanctuary Date : Friday, January 06, 2012

If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re going to make the rest of us feel guilty for laughing at you.



You saw and read it right! Yes, I have become a millionaire!  I am a millionaire - Yay! Yay! Yay!  But before you call me, my friends, do read further first.

Family Bonding - it is a simple word well understood but not many of us can well live with its value.  We tend, as we grow older, to spend a lot more time with our friends than with our own family members.  We become closer to our friends, some become our confidante and the relationship is much closer than we are to our family.  We share a lot more about ourselves to our friends.  We organize outings, even holidays, with friends.  Slowly, without we realize, our ties with our family become just the minimum.

It will be I-see-you-in-the-early-morning when we wake up and just before we go to work and OK-I-am-going-to-sleep at night.  In between, we probably do not even utter more than 10 sentences to communicate.  We hardly would sit down together to have dinner or lunch over the weekend.  We brush off even at basic courtesy question 'How are you?' or 'How was your day?'.

How often do we spend quality time with our parents and siblings?  Do we get to know our cousins just the way we know our colleagues?  How close are we to our nephews and nieces?  Do we have their birth dates and celebrate their birthdays?

It is said that the best feeling in the world is being able to go to a place where we can call home.  A place where we feel like we belong.  A place where no one can hurt us.  A place where we can learn something new each day from the ones who love us the most.  Unfortunately, many of us can't even fit and be comfortable in a home with our family members.  There is just this strange feeling where we feel like we do not belong in a family.

I feel blessed that an event takes place right at the beginning of a new year to bring my family to bond closer.  I do not have a big family and I have only a handful of cousins.  Most of the elders in this expanded family have gone.  What's left are my sisters, my cousins and one uncle.  Then, there are the younger generations of nephews and nieces. 

Fact is, and in the reality of life, these are the people (often as I mention to them) that will take care for the event of my demise.  Friends, usually, do not get personally involved with such process.  It will make sense that I should consciously and make contentious efforts to keep constant connection and communication with them.  So that we know each other.  That we feel loved and that we belong to each other.

Though some of my siblings cannot make it, I am glad that family bonding greets me at a higher level to start the year.  It has been a long time that we do such an activity - to travel together.  Alas, we create family times.  Having a trip means we need to give undivided attention to care for each other.  We need to sit down as a group, eating and listening. Afterall, we always strive to have a wonderful and enjoyable holidays.  No one likes a bad and frustrating holiday.

The trip to Batam makes my family to bond, spending special moments together where everyone feels close.  Importantly, where everyone feels a feeling of acceptance and unconditional love.  It is a fact that family grows and change over time.  It is important that we have the awareness to be remaining close to each other.  We have to keep family relationships happy and healthy.

I enjoy Batam though Indonesian ruppiah seems a little confusing.  The many digits of the currency make me an instant millionaire.  It becomes a joke amongst us in a good way.  It makes us to laugh.  Such a reaction knits our emotions closer.

Some Pictures:

Where the family stayed.  There were 18 of us!

Err, the so so room.  Then again, can't complain much as it was a last minute decision for the trip.

Our first meal.  Must say the food rather yummy.  Top:  Lontong, lungs, tempe.  Bottom:  The original yummy crispy kampong chicken Indonesian Ayam Penyet.

Having a closer family bonding is a fulfilling and enriching experience.  It is with love that we heal each other.  In family bond, we should treat each other and the respect that we give for each other will affect our relationship and how it affects them to feel about themselves.

My uncle seems very happy.  He made a remark, as we were departing at Harbour Front, to have another family trip soon.  He suggested Bangkok!!  Perhaps, next time round, all members of this small extended family will go together.  God's willing.