Celebrating Bak and Mak

my brother Nazrie posted this touching poem on the Facebook family wall awhile ago to mark my beloved bak's birthday which is today and my much-loved mak's birthday which was on february 20. and after being unwell for many weeks, over a month actually, bak's long overdue eye "operation" was finally done today and alhamdulillah, everything went well. the "operation" was our siblings' birthday gift to him. but this saturday when my brother Nazrie and his family are back at my parents', and together with my other brother Al and whoever else joining, we will have a small celebration and i shall bring a cake, and we shall bring as much as love as possible to the table, laying it out for them, celebrating bak and mak's lives, a gift to us siblings from Allah, a gift we will always treasure, praying for good things for them especially for blessings from Allah swt.


To My Children


when I spill some food on my nice clean dress
or maybe forget to tie my shoe
please be patient and perhaps reminisce

about the many hours I spent with you.

when I taught you how to eat with care
plus tying laces and your numbers too

dressing yourself and combing your hair

those were precious hours spent with you.

so when I forget

what I was about to say

just give me a minute - or two

it probably wasn't important anyway

and I would much rather listen to you.

if I tell you the story one more time

and you know the ending through and through

please remember your first nursery rhyme

when I rehearsed it a hundred times with you.

when my legs are tired and it's hard to stand

or walk the steady pace that I would like to do

please take me carefully by my hand

and guide me now as I often did for you.

- Virginia Base -