Wonderful, wonderful world

What a Wonderful World

Louis Daniel Armstrong

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world

Songwriters: George Douglas / George David Weiss / Bob Thiele

What a Wonderful World lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Carlin America Inc

https://youtu.be/A3yCcXgbKrE

Yes it is. It IS a wonderful world. Last Saturday it was two years since the wedding of Joseph and Yuqin. What a lot has happened in 24 months.

The things that are easy to be thankful for :

1. Joseph’s and Yuqin’s wedding

2. Elliot’s and Hui’s wedding in March this year

3. Andrew’s and Christine’s wedding in July this year.

4. Ian introducing Qian En to the family

5. David introducing Samantha to the family 

6. Rocky and Maria being so blessed in their respective careers

7.  A wonderful family holiday in Melbourne in June this year visiting Colin, Geraldine, Sean and Nicole and meeting Monique and Sean O

8. Bonus meeting Steve and Michelle, Grant and Lisa and baby Ava in Melbourne at the same time.

9. The newlyweds all having their own homes.

10. Our finally moving in to our own BTO flat. I love the location, the layout and the Presence of God who is our Provider.

11. Gwyneth settling into school routine and getting used to being flower girl for her uncles.

12. Full recovery of the two crushed bones in my left hand.

The things that were a little harder to be thankful for:

1. My Aunty Carmen returning to the Father in heaven on 3 Aprilg 2017. Perth will not be the same without her cheerful laughter and her positive attitude towards life even at the times she said she felt 108 years old..

I am thankful for her children, my cousins, in whom I see so much of Aunty Carmen. I am thankful that we had a chance to see her in November 2016. I am thankful for the chance to celebrate her life with my cousins, Colin and Richard even though we could not attend her memorial service.

I am thankful for her legacy and the many things I learnt from her just by observing the way she lived her life and her perspective of difficulties and health challenges. I am thankful for the example she set for me in the way she was ready to try the sunchlorella back in June 1994. That inspired me to not be afraid to try something “ unknown” in the quest for recovery and full health.  I am thankful for her example of dogged persistence in doing simple exercises repeatedly till she overcame the vertigo that wrecked her holiday in Singapore years ago. She accepted there were no quick fixes and she prevailed. That example of patience and persistence helped me in 2017-2018 while I recovered from the crushed bones in my palm and then right through the mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.

I am thankful for her love and attention through remembering birthdays and always being ready with little gifts. I couldn’t understand how she managed to remember all birthdays correctly especially as we only saw her about once a year

2. Our good friend and brother-in-Christ, Roy Tirtadji returning to the Lord on 4 March 2018:

 He, his wife and his mother-in-law were instrumental in bringing Richard and me back to the Lord albeit via the scenic route through a Pentecostal church where the Lord restored us and led us closer to Him.

I am thankful that Roy didn’t give up on us and kept inviting us to attend his church services and cell group meetings even arranging for someone to translate for us as we didn’t understand a word of Bahasa Indonesia.

I am thankful for the example he set as he faced cancer. Through numerous surgeries, procedures, medical protocols, countless hospital stays and inimitable consultations with specialists he remained thankful to God. His favourite song was “I am here” * especially the chorus which runs “ It’s only by Your grace that I can live today; forever I will praise Your Name”. Because I was going through chemotherapy I did not get to see him toward the end but his words stay in my heart, “ I give thanks, Gerie, no matter what.” *( I am Here by Welyar Kauntu)

3. Cancer - NO I am NOT thankful for cancer. I AM THANKFUL that my God who allowed the cancer also  promised that (1) all things work together for the good of those who love Him and (2) by His stripes we are healed.

(a)  I am thankful for my husband Richard for his love and constant care, our offspring and their spouses/ girlfriends and my brother Colin for their love and encouragement and grand daughter Gwyneth whose confident prediction that my hair would be back by her birthday was fulfilled. 

(b) I am thankful for Geraldine, Sean and Nicole, dear cousins and school friends who rallied around with prayers, good wishes and encouragement. Special mention to Natasha, Marie-Ann Mathot, Sheila Forde, William Forde for the way he faced his cancer yet sent prayers, Mimi Yeow for taking the time and trouble to meet for tea and share her view of chemotherapy, Kenny Nathan and Elizabeth Siew and Elsie Poon for their constant and regular checks on my progress and their encouragement, Chandra and Ida Wong, Bu Ping and Bu Hetty, Silvia Hwang for their unfailing prayers and attention. 

(c) I am thankful that God gave my daughter and sons spouses whose parents prayed for my recovery. Not only did I see the answers to those prayers but I received comfort and encouragement to know that my children have parents-in-law who are prayerful and caring.

(d) I am thankful for so many former schoolmates, church friends and friends of our offspring who sent prayers and well wishes along my journey.

(e) I am thankful for the staff at the National Cancer Centre , Singapore. Every single staff, no matter their job description, were cheerful and friendly, professional and beyond competent. They made the surgery, chemotherapy sessions, radiation sessions and every appointment easy to bear.

(f) I am thankful for lessons learnt enroute to recovery. I have learnt to appreciate 

      i.  my tastebuds which went on vacation when I went through chemotherapy;

      ii. energy. I did not realise how hard it was to have to concentrate on doing regular daily tasks which, prior to chemotherapy, I had done without thinking;

      iii. raw salads. I was totally forbidden from eating anything raw for fear of infection. How I savour every salad I now eat.

      iv. the ability to swallow even gulp water down instead of sipping gingerly for fear of throwing up.

       v. a full night’s sleep. After every chemo session I had “ owl eyes”. I learnt not to be frustrated at not being able to fall asleep immediately. I appreciated the blessing all the years of generally having deep sleep every night. I learnt to be still, to pray and praise and worship and literally just shut up and listen for and to the voice of God. I learnt to use that time to read and to write. And surprisingly I was not sleepy the following day.

       vii. feeling sleepy haha. It is such a delicious feeling to be tired and have the blessing of being able to go to bed in your own home and s l e e p!!! 

      vi. going swimming- another favourite activity that was forbidden. 

The point of this rambling is that I have re-learnt to appreciate the “bright blessed day, the dark sacred night” and every day, every moment now, “I think to myself, what a wonderful world”