Aunty Rose - it's been a year

Today is the 13th of October 2018 and it has been exactly a year since she passed. I remember a year ago, I was at the airport waiting for my delayed flight home to Penang. It was evening time and she was already in a coma. I was anxiously thinking if I could make it in time to see her. Unfortunately, my cousin texted me and told me that she had passed. It was a really really sad flight back home. The person who brought me up and took care of me since I was small is no longer around.

Here are some fond memories of Aunty Rose.

Aunty Rose took care of me since I was a baby because my mum works full-time on the mainland. It has been like that for years and she was a second mum to me.

She was the best. I remember going to grandma's house every morning before school to breakfast prepared on the table. I remember my uniform being hung up ironed and ready to be changed into. I remember her cycling to school at recess time with Jujubes (a sweet) and cordial Sarsi for me to drink. How she ordered Roti Canai ready before the recess bell rang. She was always there.

I remember all the birthday cakes she made for my siblings and my cousins. How she designed and made them specially for us. The chocolate cookies she made for me since I was in primary to bring to school on Children's Day for my friends to share. The crochet blouses she made for family members and other people. Not forgetting all the Christmas jam tarts, sugee and fruit cakes she made for our family and friends.

She cooked for us, every weekday for more than 15 years. Cooked for birthday parties and celebrations. She did it on her own for many years. Occasionally, she would cook Nasi Lemak for lunch or even my favourite when I'm back from KL, brinjal sambal. At tea time, it was a daily thing for her to make tea for my dad. Some days when she felt like it, she would make pancakes too.

About 7 years back she felt a lump on one of her breasts but she was hesitant to get it checked. Soon after, it was cancer positive. She went for chemotherapy, her hair fell, she got a wig and before we knew it, she looked healthy, she gained some weight and she was getting better.

Unfortunately, she wasn't happy with how she looked. She felt the need to go on a diet. An all juice diet and a detox. It deprived her of solids and nutrients that her body needed and soon after she was diagnosed with diabetes, for the high levels of sugar from drinking only fruit juice and gastric, for not eating well. That's where things went downhill for her as depression kicked in and the cancer spread.

I'd like to share about this today, on her death anniversary and in the month of Pink October. Aunty Rose was physically strong. It's important to try our best to comfort and be there for those who are depressed. To always be patient with them and their fears and thoughts. We will never know what it's like to be in their place.

She wasn't happy with how she looked, even if it meant that she was healthy. With society's standards of beauty, I think we should all just scrap that and be happy with ourselves, however we are. We're all unique and different. Being skinny or curvy does not define beauty. How you are on the inside determines how beautiful you are. Only your heart matters.

At the same time, do go for annual body check ups and feel your body for any lumps. Early detection has a chance of a better outcome. Aunty Rose wasn't keen on following restrictive diets. In my opinion, it's best to try out the different types of diet recommendations for your health concern because if you never try, you'd never know. Even if they don't work, at least you've tried. From what I know, there has been many testimonies on Apricot seeds that are tied to cancer. I can't confirm this but it's worth a try.

For those of you with health complications, stay strong and go for regular check ups. It's advisable for you to do some research on the types of diets that may help you or your condition. For those of you with no complications, watch your diet. Apart from genetics, it is proven that what you eat plays a big role on your health outcome. Exercise if you can, don't take health for granted.

You may be the richest man in the world but if you don't have health, you lose it all.

xx, Farm