HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hooray December is finally here! This is going to be a light-hearted piece. I was invited to dinner at my friend’s place in USJ 14. As I entered the house I saw a beautiful Christmas tree, adorned in white. The items underneath the tree caught my attention. “We’re still in November”, I thought to myself but my friend was all ready for Christmas. Boxes of gifts filled the space underneath the Christmas tree.
When we came home, my husband and I had a discussion – this year we will not be putting up our Christmas tree. Last year, in our enthusiasm of setting up a Christmas tree for the first time since we got married, my husband purchased the tallest Christmas tree we could find in the store! Setting it up was easy. I love decorating. Tying ribbons, mixing the colours and then when the lights came on, it created the merriest atmosphere. However, dismantling the tree when Christmas ended was another story all together!
It was the dismantling work and repacking all the items that exhausted me. This year, my husband and I both smiled and we have decided perhaps to make life easier, we should just put up a photo of our Christmas tree instead of going through the process all over again.
As I conclude my year with this article, I stand amazed at how the last 20 months have flown by and I am indeed grateful to God for each experience we went through.
The most painful encounter by far would have to be the sudden and shocking departure of Beng Hock. This loss is somehow unreal and beyond my understanding.
The most enriching experience would have to be my fully-sponsored educational trip to America in the beginning of the year. Being sent to witness history in making, walking amongst the crowd of a million people, being there to hear the cab driver and the cashier talk about their pride of having Barrack Obama as their President was a privilege I did not deserve. To be able to say “I was there” is something I look forward to share with my grandchildren. Just walking down the streets of Washington, admiring the vivid colours in the sky of Orlando and breathing in the cold breeze by the beach in Wilmington – these have enlarged and broadened my imagination of the world.
All other experiences in between the above two would not have been possible without the support of my husband, my family, my close friends, my supporters and of course my team! 
Thank you:
God for watching over me and for being the reason I wake up each day.
My husband for faithfully standing by me each time I found it hard to breathe when in stress. For your wisdom, your sacrifice of waking up early even on your rest day and for tolerating my unrelenting need to work and work and work!
My parents for making sure I have a proper home cooked meal each time I had enough of dining out.
My team for never saying “No” when we had to go the extra mile for our constituents.
MPSJ and councillors for improving the delivery system and continuously striving to be better.
My supporters for cheering me on.
Editor of SJ Echo for always allowing me to extend my deadline for submission of my column each month.
A very merry Christmas to all my Christian friends and may you remember the Greatest Gift and Life Giver as you reflect on the meaning of Christmas. Let’s be ready early (like the story of my friend and her Christmas tree) as we embrace 2010 and all its challenges ahead!
Editor’s Note: You still have 23 days to reconsider putting up the Christmas tree.