Got Milk? All You Need is Love.

It has been awhile since my last post. Not that I've been that busy over the glorious festive period. No, definitely not. I've been decidedly lazy to write. 

Oh Yes, and a lack of a topic to interest me to sit at one spot in the comfort of my home and pound away at my well utilised keypad. 

It changed tonight. I watched Milk. And it literally blew me away. From the excellent cinematography and use of old 1970s footage, to the sharp, intelligent wit, Milk surpassed all expectations I had before stepping into the cinema. Director Gus Van Sant effectively utilised all airtime, never wasting even one second or one frame. Each moment captured on screen had a message to convey, an emotion to encapsulate, a door to open. But even the most talented of directors wouldn't have a movie worth blogging about if they didn't have a passionate actor like Sean Penn. His performance was truly amazing and an inspiration. 

Favourite part of the movie for me? [warning: spoiler ahead] Milk, lonely after watching his first and strangely enough last opera, was on the phone with his ex-lover, Scott. Sitting in the shadows, the phone cradled on his ear, his eyes half hidden by the non-committal light streaming in from the windows, he exhibited a series of emotions without so much as uttering a word nor moving an inch. He slides from sadness, to longing, to a hopeless realisation that his life has slipped so quickly by. This moment, though short and void of words or smart lines, held so much power to me. My interpretation of the situation is that despite success and despite gaining respect, love ultimately conquers all. No matter what he was going through at that moment, Milk loved Scott. They weren't together anymore, but they were still in love. Never mind the distance between them, never mind the past hurt and pain, never mind that many years had passed since they were together.

Love, my friends, is something that no one can take away from you and even if you are left with nothing, it will be all that you will still own.

There are many lessons to learn from Milk and while some may scorn at my sudden enthusiasm at this topic, I'm simply glad to have been reminded of the people who I love in my life. Loving them is all I have and in my brightest days and my darkest nights, they will be there for me. Through my hardships, my failures, my successes and my glory. Loving strangers on the other hand, is a greater task that demands more of oneself. I don't mean you have to become best friends with every other person on the street, but kindness in a rocky time like the present, is the simplest form of showing love. 

Some ways to introduce LOVE into YOUR life:

1. Keep the change: Taken a cab and the fare comes up to $14.50? Rather than sit there and wait for the 50c back, how about letting the cabbie keep the change instead? Over time, small sums like that can grow and his family may actually be able to eat a full meal together. Ask yourself - do I really need it more than him? (well, to be frank, if you could even THINK about flagging a cab down when you're perfectly able to take a train/ bus then, really, why the 2nd thoughts?)

2. Trays back: The NEA has started a new campaign but we don't really need people from the government telling us that it would be an act of love and consideration to clear our trays after eating. Especially in a country like Singapore where hawker joints are always swarming with hungry people. It should really be an obvious thing. So the old lady is 'paid' to clear tables and wipe up your mess, but imagine your grandma in her place. Still want that old lady to pick up after you?

3. Spend quality time with family: Work, School, Friends, Church, everyone but the people who you were born into. Your Family. Make an effort to keep aside ONE day a week for them. It won't take up a lot of energy, cook a meal together, go for a walk in the park, watch DVDs - whatever suits your clan is fine because remember, one day, you won't GET the chance to show them you love them.

-end-

"The Scream"

Lips that taste of tears, they say,
Are the best for kissing.
~Dorothy Parker

It was like a cry for help, an awakening, a deeper insight to another person’s pain and hurts. It was a reflection of my youth, the long journey of life that has seen love and love lost, deaths and new life.

I read my brother’s new blog today and it moved me. His talent and ability to write so beautifully astounds me. I am blown away. I suppose, my parents never knew that they gave birth to three children who loved their words. Children who expressed themselves the best through visuals and through language. Creativity has played a large role in our growing up days, and although it seems that since coming home, I scarce can find time or energy to focus on growing my talents, I know it still lives in me. It lives in all three of us.

There are days in our lives where we feel lost. Without any sense of direction and no meaning to life, we plod on. Our eyes blinded by the seemingly important things in our life – work, money, friends, we forget those most important and dear to our lives. In the 2 weeks my parents went on their exotic trip to the Mediterranean, I spent time with my grandmother. Together with my siblings, we worked hard to make her smile once more. It has been 4 long sad months for my grandmother. She lost her best friend, her confidante, the one person in life that she would lay down HER life for. It brought great happiness to listen to her speak, and at the same time, saying our goodbyes left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. One day, she would be gone too. And our entire family will come together once more. This time, to mourn the great loss of a wonderful woman – Granny.

My grandmother isn’t a nag. She is polite, never demanding, never rude. She taught us to always be true to ourselves, our religion, our family and to watch our manners. She taught us that it important, be it rich of poor, to be honest in whatever we do. Never get ahead if the means you have to lie to be someone. She taught me that it was sometimes better not to say something hurtful, then to say it. Beauty is from within, and she is one of the most beautiful ladies in the world to me. To us.

In the week my parents were gone, I spent more time with my siblings. I listened to them, I watched over them. I was not always there with them, but it felt good to know that we have each other to rely on. Life has gone back to how it always is, and I don’t want to lose grip of what we have. I need to keep reaching out. Time is of the essence, and like grains of sand in an hourglass, they slip through our fingers and out of our lives. Forever. No amount of money or pleading can bring the past back to us. And it’s good that way. We live and we learn. I’m learning to appreciate who I have now and to let them know that I do care. The day will come when I will lose them, and they will in turn lose me.

But until then, I will care.