Grateful 18 Feb: CNY Connections (2)

Today is CNY Day 2, and like yesterday, I want to give thanks for connections - this time in a more direct way. I am grateful for the following: 

• Friends. I give thanks for friends I met today: PY, whom I had breakfast with; M, my buddy, who came over in the afternoon; and JL, who visited me in the evening. Each of them has, in their own way, brought much meaning into my life, and I am thankful for the chance to reconnect. Breakfast with PY was a lovely catch-up. She was my colleague in my last job, and we used to have lunch together regularly. After I left the corporate world, we stayed in contact, and she was one of the first to volunteer as my coachee when I needed hours for my coaching credential. Through those sessions, I came to know her better, and over time, we became friends. I will not go into detail about M, as I have written about him quite a bit recently. As for JL, she is an ex-neighbour from my parents’ place. In fact, I consider her a family friend, having known her for over 40 years. She dropped by today with my sister and brother-in-law, and it was especially nice to see her again after such a long time. 

• Second Sister, Brother-in-law & JL. I am grateful to my second sister and brother-in-law for dropping by with dinner and yusheng. They brought JL along, as she had visited them earlier. It was a warm and meaningful visit, especially in the CNY context. We spent a good amount of time reminiscing about the past. 

• Lou Hei (Yusheng). I am thankful for the chance to toss yusheng with people close to me. This was my second lou hei of the year, and instead of raw fish, my sister used abalone and jellyfish. It was thoughtfully assembled, and I am so very full now. Although yusheng is largely made up of shredded vegetables and pickles, it is not exactly healthy. It comes with sweet sauces, ground nuts, sesame seeds, and other ingredients, making it both calorie and sodium rich. But what the heck right? This is a once-a-year affair and who better to lou the yusheng with than family and close friends? 

It was a good and meaningful day, connecting with people who matter to me. With today, the two-day CNY public holiday comes to an end. Nonetheless, visitations will continue for many over the next two weeks or so. So yeah, it is back to routine.