Learning to appreciate life as it is.

Sejak saya nampak 'anak kecil' berkerja sebagai seorang cleaner at the office where I am currently auditing, jiwa saya tak tenang.  A day before the Diwali break, I was walking to the office toilet when I heard a guy asked the cleaner boy, how old he was.  The reason for asking - ah well because he looked no older than 12!  Then I heard a reply from the boy saying he's 11 or 9 - both numbers sounds more or less the same in Malay , especially if you're eavesdropping. 

Sigh.  I thought.  Here I am, complaining about work, how money isn't always enough, complaining about my spouse, and the food from the table isn't cooked to my taste.  I have spent all my life complaining about how life isn't the way it should be.  The boy, who's 11 or 9, lets say 9, didn't have the time to complain.  Did he complain about how he is suppose to be in school but working instead?  Did he complain about how fair life was that he missed his childhood to play like others, and have fun like a 9 years old should be?  I'm sure he didn't say anything about what he's eaten, if he's eaten at all. 

I tried to be positive about it, that this boy mungkin sedang menggantikan ibu atau ayah yang sedang sakit.  But does that really make you feel better?  Adoiii lah.  Seriously, just thinking about it has made me appreciate life more and more!  Bukan ke aku cukup makan, malahan terlebih gemuk sudah dek kerana makanan?  Do I not have a husband who loves me more than anything, and a toddler who cries for me?  Do I not have the luxury to shop for decent clothes, and never ending opportunity to shop for shoes?  Is it not true that my medical expenses are paid for by the company?  Do I not have a job, a job which feeds my family.  Ya Allah, syukran! 

Gambar Hiasan: My 'perfect' life

Tak cukup ke untuk membuatkan aku appreciate kehidupan aku sekarang ni?  Tak kaya tapi sederhana... Ada peluang bersekolah di sekolah yang baik, I was given the opportunity to attend University not once but twice!  Berpeluang memilih kerjaya sendiri.  Tak suka, tapi itulah yang meberi saya sesuap nasi!  Perlu motivasi untuk bangun bekerja setaip hari, but don't we all need a push once a while?  Jangan membenci keadaan diri kita dan kehidupan kita sebelum kita tengok, mungkin ada yang lebih perit dan susah dari kita. 

The above is just one rare case that I have come across.  Ada lagi dan dah banyak kali saya terjumpa kisah sedemikian.  Ermm maybe for others tak seberat mana, tapi saya ni sensitive orang nye.  Dah tengok, pasti teringat dan menjadi teladan hingga ke akhir hayat.

Moral of the story, untuk diri saya, learn to appreciate life the way it is.  Allah dah menjadikan semuanya untuk sebab tertentu.  Dan saya sentiasa kenangkan ayat di bawah untuk renungan diri saya setiap kali saya berasa that things could've been better, or when I couldn't get the things I want in life....

"Boleh jadi kamu membenci sesuatu, padahal ia amat baik bagimu, dan boleh jadi (pula) kamu menyukai sesuatu, padahal ia amat buruk bagimu; Allah mengetahui, sedang kamu tidak mengetahui." (Al-Baqarah: 216)

Sekian... Monday Blues kembali menjemput.