https://odb.org/MY/2023/06/18/fixing-go-karts
Today is a pretty special day – I turn 55, and just 10 years ago, I would have retired. It was in 2013 that the Malaysian government increased the retirement age for the private sector from 55 to 60, although civil servants had theirs changed to 58 earlier than that. There are pros and cons in working until 60, but the change of retirement age means that as an employee, I have the option to work on if I want to and I have 5 years to consider leaving to pursue my other interests. As far as my EPF (employee provident fund) is concerned, my accounts are now consolidated into one Akaun Emas (Golden Account), and I may withdraw all of my old age savings if I wanted to.
Coincidentally, today is also Father’s Day, and as I reflect upon my late dad, I still recall those days when I was around 5 or 6 when we used to go fishing by the river to catch prawns or the time when I was 11 when we went out to the sea for an overnight fishing trip. On that trip, we faced a storm and had to land and spend the night on an island. Or those scouting camping trips with his school’s boy scouts when i was 8 to 10. Those were the memories I cherish the most with my late father.
He was an avid badminton player, but strangely, we hardly played together much. This was because when I finally reached his level of skills, he stopped playing temporarily (can’t recall exactly why, but maybe the town hall was under renovation) and then when I reached the public examination years, I too stopped playing.
We grew apart during those varsity years as I seldom went home even during semester breaks, either busy with varsity or church activities. Later, I started working and got married, and even though we made it a point to return home during Chinese New Year, we spent less time together until both my late parents came over and stayed with us when my second child Daniel was born. There was great bonding between my boys and my dad then, and since he stayed with me, he was always close by.
For my wife and I, we prefer our children to be nearby when they start to leave the nest. Ivan is currently working abroad, and Daniel will be going abroad for a single semester exchange programme. The next 5-6 months, both our children will be far away. I guess that’s part of life and them maturing in tandem to meet the challenges in the future as adults.
What’s the message this morning? As believers, we are thankful and grateful that we have a loving and compassionate Heavenly Father whose love is beyond comprehension, whose love is steadfast and never ceases, whose love is renewed every morning like dew. But if our earthly fathers are still alive, spend some time with them. Make great memories together as their time with us will not be forever, and only memories will remain once they leave us.
Happy and blessed Father’s Day to all fathers, and have a great Sunday celebration today at church, everyone! Take care, and God bless!
Ronnie's Thoughts 