Dear Papa,
Today is exactly three years since you’re gone. How have you been?
A lot has happened since I last wrote to you.
Kuching has changed quite a fair bit here and there. There’s been a lot of development, especially on the retail side. Yes, I know. 😉 But don’t you worry, Papa. Competition is always healthy and we’ve been doing many things to improve ourselves.
There’s a lot of new things to try out in Kuching now. Guess what? Even your favourite coffee Starbucks has opened up two outlets here. If you’re around, I’m sure you’ll be ordering takeaways from there everyday.
Do you get to read newspapers up there? Do you see the tribute I wrote for you in the papers. I hope you like it.
I wonder what kind of news they publish in the papers you get up there. I certainly hope they are not as biased as the ones we have here. 😉
Have you heard? BN lost heaps of seats in the last general election. Anwar’s wife is now Opposition Leader. Lim Guan Eng has gone from jail to Penang Chief Minister. And Chong Chieng Jen is still the only DAP MP from Sarawak. Wonder what you think about that?
The government are kinda blaming bloggers for the political change. Although since the elections, people are paying more attention to us. Many of the older people have started blogging. Even Dr Mahathir himself has hopped on the bandwagon. Can you imagine that? Haha.
Sister and her family is doing fantastic in New Zealand.
We went over to visit her during Chinese New Year. It’s been such a long time since we had a family reunion. We used to do it so often when you’re around. I really miss those times.
Baby Lecia is growing up just fine. She seems to cry a lot though. But she’s very cute even when she cries. Won’t you love to hold her tight?
Don’t worry about Jayden and Kirsten. They are goofy as always.
As for me, life has kinda turned on its head lately. Lately I’ve been getting a lot busier than ever. In the office, I’m diligently learning the ropes from my seniors, learning all the tips and tricks they use in business, learning how to negotiate a deal, as well as understanding all the legal and accounting terms involved.
Since the beginning of the year, I’m also getting invites to speak at various events left right and centre. There’s a lot of job opportunities that have come in for me, so much so that I had to turn down most of them either because I don’t have time, or because I couldn’t take leave off work.
I guess the good thing is that I’m getting a lot of recognition for what I do. On the downside, I am in danger of turning into a workaholic. As soon as I got home from the office, I’m in front of the computer again, replying e-mails and keeping up with my deadlines.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy what I do very much. The income is great and the people I’ve been meeting are wonderful. I just think that it is difficult being a 25 year old and having to juggle so many responsibilities at the same time.
But then again, who am I to complain right?
I’m sure life for you was even more difficult back then you were 25. I know, I know. 🙂 Back in those days, there were no mobile phones, no internet. You have to take care of your siblings when Grandpa and Grandma were at work. We don’t have to worry about those things now. We are incredibly lucky. And of course I appreciate it, Papa.
Thank you for working so hard when you were young. Else, we wouldn’t have enjoyed the life that we have today.
The more I think about it, the more thankful I am to you. In a lot of the interviews I did, people ask me who my biggest influence is, and I never hesitated a bit to say that it is you.
Come to think of it, I started blogging indirectly because of you too.
Now that I’ve found success in what I do, I stay motivated with you as my inspiration. Sometimes when I’m pulling my hair out stressing over the things I had to do, I think back at the image of you sitting alone at the study room at 1am, cigarette in hand, carefully looking through all the paperwork you pulled out of your briefcase.
That image of you is still so vivid in my head. And suddenly, it seems like my worries are all so incomparably small.
As I face new challenges each day, I look back at your life knowing that you have faced far greater challenges before, and that you never let them bring you down.
Sometimes I wonder how you managed it.
How are you able to find a woman like mom, who is so incredibly loving and supportive of what you do?
You spent so much time at work, yet everytime you come home, mom has given you the best home possible. I find that difficult to comprehend sometimes. A lot of women these days don’t like workaholic career-minded men. They think they would always be competing for their time and attention, yet they don’t seem to understand that a lot of what we do are for a better future.
I guess I knew why you married mom. Women like her are indeed rare these days.
It has been three years since you left us. The world has changed a lot around us.
Papa, the one thing that has remained unchanged is my admiration and adolation towards you as my father. Eventhough I feel sad sometimes that I don’t have a father to go to when I’m lost, I am grateful that you have done so much for us already when you were around.
Thank you for all that you have done. Thank you for all that you have taught us. I want you to know that you are the guiding compass in my life. And you are the perfect blueprint of the man I want to be when I grow up.
Don’t worry, papa. I will take care of mom. I will be humble. I will respect and treat my friends well. And I will keep my feet firmly on the ground as my hands reach for the stars.
You have my word on that.
Until next time, please take care of yourself. Stop smoking so much already and eat more healthy food, alright? 🙂
We love you always and we miss you very much.
Lots of love,
Your youngest son Kenny