Where do I begin? 2023 had so far been among the toughest, most challenging year ever. There were many times when I just felt like throwing up my hands in the air and giving up.
The first
caregiver demanded a pay increase in March and I was so incensed that I
immediately went to search for a replacement caregiver on FB. I contacted two
and one agreed to come the following day (Saturday) to visit dad and evaluate
if he was willing to commit himself. He came a bit late and visited dad. Dad
wasn’t happy as he was sporting a ponytail and after he left, dad said he
wanted to retain the first caregiver – despite the less-than-satisfactory work
record. The other caregiver I contacted never showed up despite repeated calls
and messages. I finally told the first caregiver that we were not going to
renew his contract and he was not happy of course, so much so that with 13 days
left to go in March, he announced suddenly it was his last day. I quickly
contacted the caregiver who came to visit dad and alhamdulillah he was able to
start the very next day. He showed up with a shaved head and I gave him a brief
introduction before leaving for work. Alhamdulillah, it turned out to be a wise
decision as he was able to meet my dad’s demands.
I had a
series of illnesses: the usual gastritis, got stung by a hornet once, and had
very bad fever/body ache twice. Apart from that, I was blessed with good
health, alhamdulillah. I did lose sleep once in a while. I had continued to cut
down on junk food but not altogether (oops).
Dad had a
series of UTI episodes and was even warded for five nights in June and was
discharged on the eve of Eid Adha. He lost even more weight and was more skin
and bones. He still had good appetite but was unable to eat much as he’d feel
nauseous after a while. I had to call the doctor-on-call a few times to attend
to him. And finally, he had a fall and that was the last straw that broke him.
He passed twelve days later. And now I’m all alone.
Arsenal
continued to excite and frustrate me in equal measure. They flirted with the
top spot before finally succumbing to injuries. And they ended 2023 not with a
bang but with a whimper.
My fellow
brothers and sisters in Uyghur, India, and especially in Palestine –
specifically Gaza - were subjected to
harassment, persecution and bombardment. I don’t want to give up on justice and
fairness prevailing but there are times when I think we have become hardened
and indifferent to suffering. I have been boycotting certain brands and F&B
chains for years now and will continue to do so.
I had to
spend a lot of money on house repairs and was not happy with the result of one
expensive repair especially when another contractor (which slipped my mind and
only recalled in December) made comments on the handiwork of the first contractor
and said he would charge me less than 21% of what I paid to the first
contractor. Strewth!
Yes, 2023
was such a challenging and difficult year on so many levels. At work, my
department merged with two others and I now have a different portfolio. I hope
and pray that I will enjoy my new portfolio. Upheaval at work, learning and
getting used to technology at work, new colleagues, and soon new work floor and
workstation. Must confess that I felt overwhelmed at times.
I would
sound ungrateful if I say that nothing good happened in 2023. Alhamdulillah, I
have my sister and her family who really helped and supported me in my time of
need and my close friends too. I was also able to travel and my trips and
explorations are as follows:
January: didn’t travel
February: flew out to Tawau
March: day trip to JB
April: day trip to Teluk Intan
May: short weekend in Miri
June: train trip to Batu Gajah
July: birthday weekend in KK. Took the local train to Beaufort and also visited Sabah State and Islamic Civilisation Museums
August: took the train to the Royal Town of Kuala Kangsar
September: trip to Pangkor Laut Resort
October: didn’t travel
November: spent short weekend in Sandakan
December: road trip to Johore and an overnight trip to Penang
I fell
short of my annual reading target of 150 books and only managed 145.5 books. I
found it especially hard to concentrate after dad left and I was dozing off on
many evenings instead of reading.
After dad
left us, we embarked on decluttering and I had also managed small-scale
decluttering on my own.
Happy New
Year 2024. May this year bring us peace, prosperity, success, love, iman, good
health, wealth and all we wish for. May we continue to strive to be better than
we were before, to have more compassion and consideration for others, be more
generous, more positive and kinder to everyone and every being. May we all have
a blessed year. And this year, I plan to walk down the aisle. Oh yes, the
airplane aisle. Ameen.
