Niq’s Concerns

18 April 2019 (Good Friday Eve)

“If I’m there, I will shoot them with my gun,” Niq announced what he’d do to the crowd that mocked Jesus as he carried the cross on his way to the crucifixion.

We were having one of our Sunday spelling, cat and book sessions.

I explained to him that even though he meant well, Jesus might not agree with his actions.

He became thoughtful. There was a penetrating light in his eyes as he grappled with the idea of remaining peaceful even in the face of injustice.

I also told him I had never met Jesus in person but I’ve seen lots of paintings depicting him. Artists portrayed him based on what they learnt from the bible, the same source where I read about Christmas and now Crucifixion.

At the part where Jesus was crucified, Niq who was till then very focused on the nails, suddenly blurted out anxiously, “Then Mother Mary how?”

The late Kitty resting under the painting of Mother Mary & Baby Jesus.

When I told him that Jesus entrusted his mother to the care of one of his friends, John, before he died, the young boy gave out a soft sigh.

So this is how an 8-year-old boy who could narrate the story of Baby Jesus just last December, now learns that love is not always about feeling nice. And this Easter he sees that to be able to suffer without becoming bitter is a sign of power.

Each time Niq sees a picture of Kitty, he puts his face next to it. Kitty passed on in August 2018.

Sweet Moments

31 March 2019

This morning the chinese language radio deejay invited callers to describe a sweet moment in their lives.

Children can & do appreciate intangible gifts such as your time and presence. Niq explains to Sherlene, a designer volunteer at the 9 Lives Exhibition his drawing on the visitors’ mural. He hugged & thanked her when it was time to say goodbye.

Many recounted episodes of warmth and tenderness shown to them by adults of their childhood.

A male caller shared that he would always remember that morning when his dad saw him off at his primary school.

After the caller had walked a little distance, he turned around to wave at his dad one more time. His dad beckoned him over.

When the boy returned to his dad, the man went on his knees to match his little boy’s height and adjusted his son’s shoe lace before sending him once again on his way.

So many years have passed since then, but that moment with his dad at the school gate was sweeter than his first kiss.

People may forget the occasion or the presents they receive. But they will always remember the way we make them feel.

I’m certain if we give ourselves time to feel and to recall, the sweet moments of encounters with grown ups during our childhood will surface.

And when we honour the memories of adults who treated others kindly even when times were hard for them, we too may be inspired to be kind especially when we’re tempted to be unkind.

Niq and Sam the Cat Mascot. Niq’s hugs turned fr playful to tender when he realised the person inside the costume had been at work welcoming guests since morning.

Spell to the Moon

(First Full Moon Mandala Dedication)

20 Jan 2019

Ho Ming Fong wrote “Sing to the Dawn.” My dad taught me to sing to the moon when I was 5.

Yesterday was full moon. My tutee Niq is now in Primary 2. His spelling list has gotten longer. Twenty words this time.

I shared with him how singing to the moon when I was a kid taught me not to be afraid of being alone or lost, because wherever I am, there’s always the moon above looking to guide me.

He listened intently. I could see him grappling with the concept that just because we don’t see something, it doesn’t mean it ceases to exist.

We were at Marina Bay waiting for Moonrise. Meanwhile as he explored the grounds, he learnt about rising and falling tides and how they bring in shells & garbage that get stuck on the coastal vegetation when the tide retreats.

He picked up a broken shell to keep because he wanted to know “what the inside looks like.” But for pieces to give away, he looked for intact ones.

Asking “Why are the shells broken?” led him to learn about impact caused by Man & Nature, and the need to tread lightly on earth so as not to harm others.

Niq picked up this conch shell under the full moon light & gave it to me. The jasper was given to me by a young lady a few years back. She’ll be getting married this year.

He also found an elastic hair band to dispose of properly so that it wouldn’t end up in the stomach of seabirds & marine creatures.

“Why don’t you spell to the Moon?” I prompted, “that way she also knows the words for your spelling test. And when you’re stuck you can think of the Moon and she’ll give the words back to you.”

I’ve found focussing on an aspect of nature, be it the moon or a tree or even a small patch of an open sky can help young people stay calm when they meet problems. In this way a space opens up for solutions to emerge.

“But I also want to sing to the Moon,” he responded.

We waited as the sun set and the wind rose. The lights around the barrage came on. Then a feathery patch in the sky appeared. It shifted in brightness according to the clouds covering it.

As the Speller sat in the dark, humming a made-up tune the Moon gradually revealed her luminous presence in that magical moment.

Over dinner under the Moon, Niq said to me in mocked modesty as he munched on a satay,” Don’t ask me to spell ‘nutritious’ cos I don’t know.”

May the full moon bless all sentient beings who have the gift of words and speech to help those who don’t.

And may her light imbue our words with the power to raise the spirit in joy for ourselves and for all sentient beings.

Christmas Without Borders

Christmas without Borders

24 Dec 2018

Yesterday I received my first black Christmas card. So did my cat, Oliver. He also received money gift in a Hari Raya envelope to buy cat treats. They were from Niq, my young tutee.

He told me that he had to use a special pen to write on the black background & drew Santa and his deer. He had used these cards because they were free.

I showed him the figurines for the Nativity scene and invited him to arrange them while telling the story behind Christmas.

He happily accepted the invitation and even included me by giving me the roles of the Angel and Mother Mary. He was King, Shepherd, Sheep, Donkey and Cow.

The Himalayan singing bowl added a sense of tempo to our collaboration.

In Niq’s Nativity story, every character had a speaking part, including the animals. And he was very specific about how the animals would protect Jesus when he was still a “precious baby,” but once he became a “grown up”, he would be a shepherd and take good care of them. And when he had trouble carrying wood in the forest, the Angel would help him.

I was quietly amazed at how his story was imbued with symbolic details for someone his age.

Before he left my home, he went to check on Oliver sleeping behind the washing machine in the utility area. And I heard Niq wishing the Cat “Merry Christmas” and telling him that he had made him a Christmas card and given money to buy him treats as Christmas present.

May the Light of Christmas that shone through this little boy bring peace & joy to all sentient beings.