I learned quite a few lessons on life from …. an umbrella. Yes, an umbrella, an inanimated object.
The other day, I queued behind an umbrella. Yes, an umbrella, this inanimated object. I was queuing to take my child to see the doctor. Since that was our third visit and I didn’t want to spend the whole morning at the clinic again, I went to the clinic very early in the morning to queue…. behind an umbrella.
There I was bright and early, standing in queue behind an umbrella. How strange.
Lesson On Life #1: People aren’t always what they seem to be.
The normal couple who was enjoying their breakfast nearby had thought it fit to put an umbrella as a stand-in for them in the queue. How very strange. Normal couple also made sure they managed to register first when the clinic doors were opened.
On that same day, it was raining heavily after school. We were dismayed to discover that we had left behind two big and lovely umbrellas at the school. We searched everywhere and asked around but of course, it could no longer be found – two such lovely and big umbrellas.
Lesson On Life #2: If you don’t take care of your own things, somebody else might just take it!
We asked the sweet foreign worker at the canteen. She said she had not seen our big and beautiful umbrellas but later on she managed to get us a battered and torn one to use. If she hadn’t we would have been stranded in the rain for longer.
Lesson On Life #3: Help comes in all sorts of disguises
Lesson On Life #4: If you ask for help, sometimes you will get it
Lesson On Life #5: Even though something is old and battered, it still has its uses
Now, let us travel back further. One day, it was raining cats and dogs and a lady who was desperate to get to her waiting child, asked me whether I had a spare umbrella. “How can I return this to you? I don’t know you.” she said. So I gave her my daughter’s name and class but she never returned it and I never saw her again. I presumed that she must have forgotten the information that I gave her.
“Mummy, why did you give away our umbrella? It is so wasteful. We bought it with money.” my children asked.
I told them that it is just a small thing and that we should try to help others in need whenever we could. It feels nice to help others. Besides she did say she would return it.
The funny thing is that even though she never returned it, very soon after, we got back 3 umbrellas in return.
I had won a prize at a contest and during the prize giving ceremony, we were given door gifts which included an umbrella. Somehow, I got the venue mixed up and arrived rather late for the prize presentation. As a result, there was a mix up and they forgot to call me on stage to receive my prize.
The organizers felt very bad and were very apologetic. They gave me my prize plus a few more door gifts including two more umbrellas!
I reminded my kids about….
Lesson On Life #6: If you give without expecting anything in return, sometimes you get back more than what you ask for. Give and you shall receive.
Well, that is the end of my long winded story. A result of 4 days missing from my blog. I am still feeling a bit drugged. I am currently taking the antibiotic Augmentin for my flu and it makes me feel floaty, nausea, and gastric. 🙁
Love your post. 🙂
Hope you get well soon.
Still some way to go. Sniff. Sniff.
Good lessons there you’re sharing. I can’t believe people would use an umbrella to queue in for them. Weird people. And people who don’t return things are just inconsiderate. Oh well, get well soon!
To give the lady the benefit of doubt, I think she meant to return it but forgot my contact and we never met again. Even if we did we would not recognize each other. Haha.
Floating n nauseous still can blog…haha! Great life’s lessons, especially #6. Hope everyone will be better soon. I still want to avoid taking antibiotics – suffering longer with the sore throat n cough.
I should have tahan a bit longer. The antibiotics is making me feel more sick!
I like lesson number 6. It happened to my husband before. During our dating time, he flew to Singapore to visit me, I was there to work temporary. At the airport, a couple with kids asked him to loan some money, the guy said he lost his wallet. He gave my husband his contact number in Singapore, promised him that they would return the loan of RM400. When my husband called them, apparently it was the pager number. We couldn’t get back the money. I was sort of blaming him for being so naive. When he went back to M’sia, his parents told him that he car plate number won the first prize lottery number. He got more money back then.
Wow, your husband is such a kind samaritan. If I were to meet anyone asking me for a loan at a public transportation hub, I would run a mile out of fear and suspicion! That is the kind of sad society we live in now.
Hi MG,
Pray you are feeling much better now ;P. A very apt post that affects us all daily.
Life is like a “circle”. Whatever you put into it, the consequences will come back to you one day ;). That is why all religion teaches us all “to do good onto others and one will receive His Blessings in due time” ;).
Small kind gestures go a long way in life. We all should strive to do as much good as we are capable of within our limits.
Have a nice holiday next week ;P.
The little one started this sick unmerry go round. We’re all still sick while he has little traces left of some rashes after his sickness, then today he started having a fever again. Looks like we are taking another round on the sick unmerry-go-round. The whole house is full of coughing and sniffing and medicine. Some holiday…
i like your post a lot MG 🙂 Hope all of you are better now. My little one is under the weather again 🙁
Thanks for the post MG…hope you’re feeling better soon! 🙂
Not sure if my other comment got deleted, but wished you well and a speedy recovery!