Grateful 26 Feb: CNY Connections (3)

Today, I had the chance to meet up with my aunt’s extended family for our annual CNY dinner. This aunt, the 2nd eldest sister of my dad, is already in her 90s, and her health has been deteriorating rather quickly in recent years and I am glad to be able to meet up with her and her family today. On this note, let me give thanks for:

• Family. My aunt has 5 children and my cousins are all in their 60s. It feels good to be able to connect with them every CNY. Among my generation, I am the only one invited to join them - not just for their annual CNY dinner, but also for their family get-togethers every few months. I always appreciate their hospitality; they make me feel so welcome each time I visit. My cousin, PL, also consistently makes it a point to prepare extra food for me to bring home after the CNY dinner. I am truly thankful for the way they include me, and I always look forward to our yearly reunion.

• Cousins. I am always thankful for the warmth my cousins show whenever we meet up. Among my cousins, I am probably closest to two of them - PL, who is the primary caregiver for my aunt, and CS, her brother, who currently resides in Australia. I suppose I am closer to PL because I can appreciate the challenges she faces as a caregiver, having been one myself when I took care of my mum, and we occasionally chat about it. As for CS, he is a year older than me, and we went through similar undergraduate courses during our uni days. We eventually pursued different careers and he migrated to Australia not long after graduation. But we will always meet up whenever possible, such as during our CNY gatherings.

• Next Generations. There are 4 generations in my aunt’s family. Her great-grandchildren are already in their teens. I belong to the “grand” generation and there is a generation gap between them and I - even with my cousins’ children - but they remain respectful towards me. It’s very heartwarming to have watched them grow, get married, and move through different stages of life. But it also reminds me that I, too, am moving along with age.

I am not sure how many more CNYs my aunt will be around for, given that she is already in her 90s. But I am grateful to have had another chance to see her, to wish her well for the New Year, and to spend time with her extended family. Most importantly, visiting them and joining them for their annual CNY dinner makes me feel very included and reinforces my sense of kinship with them.

Huat ah!