“施比受更有福” :)

Hey all!

Yeah, so last week I visited Mdm Cheng, along with Yu Lin and Jie Min. This is my first visit to Mdm Cheng’s place, I never know that we got an elderly living at Block 72 even though I've facilitated for like twice. ^///^ We did not manage to see her in her apartment because  she went for breakfast with her friend. So we went down to the coffee shop to find her. She has a group of old friends that always eat with her during the weekends. One of them even help us bring her back to her place (oh, she is wheelchair-bound). So basically we just chat with her as she said that there are other volunteers (probably other organization) came to clean her place 2 days before our visit. Yeah, she is easy to communicate with because she can speak mandarin. She also taught us some canto like “my name is blah blah”, “have you eat your breakfast?” and “how are you?”. Haha, she is very nice and friendly to us, though there were a few moments of awkwardness, but I think as we get to know her better, we will be more comfortable with her.

Yeah, time to do some reflection! This happened like a few weeks ago, when I visited Madam Ho. Just as what I shared with the rest, when we just reach her doorstep, her room was quite dark and she just lay on the bed (yeah, you can imagine right?) so when we start talking to her, she complains that her knee is in pain, she is waiting to die blah blah (you know all those negative stuff).  So we just do what we usually do, talk with her, eat with her, joke with her and help her with some house chores. Then the amazing thing happened, when we are leaving, we hugged her (she even give me a kiss on my cheek! ^^) and say goodbye. When I close the door, I looked at her at the doorstep again. Somehow, her room is brighter, her mood is better and her smile is wider. At that moment, I realize we’ve done something that changes her mood, or even her life. It’s very small and not so significant (you know just some talking and cleaning) but it works and works very well to turn her into a happy elderly.  I think it’s always the thought that “aiyah, I go also no difference”, “I also can’t provide much help for them” that cause people to hesitate when it comes to volunteering. If they know that they have the power to change someone’s life by volunteering themselves, they will probably have a greater driving force for voluntary work.

In fact, there is another idea that comes to my mind after that visit. There is this phrase “施比受更有福” for the Chinese, I know it and I understand it but I can’t really feel it. But after that visit when I think about the moment when madam Ho hugged me, I think I can feel it. I can feel that she gave back a lot of things to us and I can feel that my heart is filled with something that makes it full. I think at that moment I'm very 有福. It looks like we are helping them but sometimes I really think that I'm the one who is receiving benefits from the visit.

In conclusion, I'm really glad that I get to experience these in T.H.E.S, and I believe that there is more to see, more to feel and more to reflect in future! ^^

Luting :)