26-12-23 (Boxing Day)
One Christmas Eve many years ago, I passed by 3 or 4 dogs seeking shelter from the on off day long rain under the void deck of abandoned flats.
By the time I bought dog food and aluminium trays from the supermarket to go to their aid, the dogs had disappeared.
A slight panic descended as darkness deepened in the deserted premise where I stood. Held down by trays of opened canned food, there was not much I could do. The drizzle was also gathering force.
“Miss Ong, what are you doing here?”
I looked up to see two smiling boys. They introduced themselves as SJI boys.
Despite having no memory of seeing them in school, I told them what I was trying to do.
Without hesitation, they took the food offerings from me, and headed to the bus stop where they said they saw the dogs.
After they returned from their act of kindness where the dogs gobbled up everything in a flash, the boys and I held hands in the rain and gave thanks.
Those were the days of pre-social media. I had scant knowledge of helping homeless animals.
And had I let my physical condition, the inclement weather, and the darkness convince me to ignore the dogs’ hunger, I wouldn’t have met these two boys whom I believe to be angels in disguise. 😊❤️
And as the years pile on, the seemingly mundane, “Miss Ong, what are you doing Here?” has become a question of transcendental importance to me.
So in the spirit of Boxing Day as we put away present wrappers, and tidy up our surroundings, here’s wishing everyone increasing clarity to what we’re doing with our life & gifts. 🙏
Lisa Ong 