The weekend

We finally got Alan back over the weekend after a whole week's of reservist. The kids really didn't get enough of Daddy, cos he came home after they slept and left the house before they woke. I didn't get enough of hubby!

Saturday morning was Megan's P1 Orientation. :)
We got there early. Found Megan's class, met her form teacher, met with many fellow PSG parents and other new parents, listened to the principal for 2 hours(!), fetched Megan, checked out her classroom, the toilets, the library, bought her PE tees and shorts and left. QED. :)
She was visibly less jittery after meeting her teacher and classmates. When we were praying at nite, she thanked God for Mdm Lim for being a "nice lady who only gets angry when we don't do our work". :D

In the evening, we left the kiddos with my parents. We headed to Mt Vernon to attend the wake of little Jillian Lee Jia Yi. This 2.5 yo gal is the little girl of my Uni frens Jonathan and Kelly. She was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive cancer "Rhabdoid Cancer" in March. She is the only person in Singapore suffering from this sort of cancer at the moment. She had an operation to remove a kidney in April and had gone through 6 rounds of chemo. She fought till the very end. So did her parents. On Thursday nite, she went home to be with Jesus.

The wake was aptly named "A celebration of Jillian's life". It's the first time we've seen a small white coffin. Jillian looked peaceful lying there, just like she's fallen asleep. Jon and Kel had photos of Jill with all her loved ones printed, since her birth placed on easels around the coffin. There were also some Dora helium balloons and blue balloons strewn the floor. At the background, kids praise and worship music was playing. It looked like a celebration indeed.

As we sang her favourite worship songs, I was looking at Jon and Kel. They were not crying. Maybe they had no more tears to cry. Maybe they were relieved that Jill is finally not suffering anymore. Maybe it's the belief that they will one day meet her soon, when their own race on earth is completed.

We sat there, hearing Jon talk about what he learnt from his little girl, in her 2 and a half year's sojorn on earth. My fren, Jon, is a fun loving guy. We went to college together, I was 18, he 21. He was my big brother. When I bought my first car, he was the guy who checked it all out for me. He taught me driving, taught me math, taught me how to have good clean fun. And now, as I sit at his daughter's wake, he's still teaching me, how to hang on to God despite having to go through one of life's most painful episodes. I cried watching him cry.

Kelly is a breastfeeding and attachment-parenting advocate. She has always been strong, a real fighter, and yet, warm and loving. She will never hesitate to tell you what she thinks is best for you. And you never have to worry about any hidden agendas she has. She is smart and always goes the extra mile for you, even if you are a stranger. We drifted apart when we came back to Singapore. But like she said, we have been reunited because of Jillian. She wore a bright pink cardigan that nite. I guessed it must've been Jill's favourite colour.

Heaven must be rejoicing to receive Jillian. Her dimpled smile and feisty ways will be etched in our memories for a long long time.