Friends.

A beautiful day ought to be immortalised.

It's funny how we grow up backwards. Do you remember the time when you were a child, needy for attention, and how you would tell over and over again about how great that trip to the zoo was, or how much you liked that ice-cream, or how you had a fantastic day at school because you got a special stamp that nobody else had? Children say it over and over and over again, rhythmically, in the excess, not absence of life. Children recount happy things, repeatedly, untiringly, not because of their boredom, but because of their abundance. Every recount is a new experience, a memory further polished to sparkle ever more brightly, a fresh distillation. It gets more special every time.

It's funny how we grow up and lose that strength to exult in this repetition. We do, we do repeat things- but not the way children do. Children repeat to give life into their memory, we repeat to flog it till its dead. For we resurrect old things, bad things, again and again, and we excuse one another in the understanding that it is called venting. We all understand when Big People rant on blogs, and they are excused. But to write about a good and happy day? Oh, then that's just plain cheesy, or has she run of things to write about?

A beautiful day ought to be immortalised. And beauty can lie in the tiniest, deepest and most superficial of things. So at the risk of sounding cheesy, silly or awful and narcisstic even, this Happy Day will be immortalised here.

List of things that made today a Happy day: (in chronological order)

1. A HUG! A FREE HUG!
The day had barely started and I was just sitting there, when you came over and wrapped your arms around my shoulder, drowning me in my own wonder and joy and sweet surprise. Hugs are the bestest thing in the world. But an unexpected one? Wow, that goes through the roof.


2. from L:
"Thank you for being such a blessing, Jia."


3. I walk into the lecture theatre, and find my seat. I overhear a joke but dont understand it.
from M:
"Haha, you don't get it? Sigh... it's just like you... It just shows how selfless you are. By the way, you look great in that top."


4. from K during lunch time:
"Oh yeah, thanks for that email... You know it came just at the perfect time when I was feeling down that day."


5. from M, just suddenly, out of the blue:
" Yea, you're a very attractive young lady. " You smiled.

Now WHERE ON EARTH DID THAT COME FROM.


6. I remembered the past week of emails that I had received and realised just how blessed I am to have friends like you all. Four special emails last week. One on Wednesday from a stranger telling me his life story who has now become a friend, not one, not two but three sweet emails on Thursday.

It's not even my birthday.

So there. Children do it. They talk about Silly Things like a Terrific stamp on their spelling book or a special flower they saw during playtime today, over and over, beaming with pride and oozing with happiness about the simplest of things, bringing new life into their recounts each time, as each recount fills them with life in turn.

So I'm taking a brave step to do it today. Oh, the vulnerability one feels to share about what makes one happy. The tiniest of things makes one seem inadequate or needy or absolutely mushy. How superficial we all are after all. Im not complaining.

Today is a Happy Day. Not merely because of what you said, but because of the intention and the heart behind the things expressed.

All this happened in one day. My mind has yet to fathom how so many beautiful things can be lavished on one person in one day. What did I do to deserve Friends like you all?

She was walking into the attic by herself, looking dejectedly for a lost teddy bear to hug when suddenly, the lights came on and everybody jumped out with presents and confetti and flowers and hugs.

There was so much love in the air today.

Thank you all. I don't know what I've done to deserve Friends like you. All this from you all in one day.

8 October 2007. Monday. Today is a Special Day, a Special normal day.

It's not even my birthday.

What did I do to deserve friends like you?

Thank you God. HUG.