my Coach

Tuesday 13th Nov 2007 2.20pm


...Better post this before my meeting at 2.30...


This morning I was driving to work and thinking about how fortunate I am.
November last year, it was such a feeling of despair, sorrow and utter hopelessness. Life then was just terrible. Plain terrible.

How things have and can change?

Last night, my sweetheart and I went out for dinner at Pavilion. It was not my intention to shop. Just wanted to spend more time with him... and of course, dinner.
Walked into Coach and my dear sweetheart got me a lovely Coach handbag. For what reason?
He says just because I wanted it!
Oh yeah! And a pair of sunnies too!

So this morning, having my brand new gorgeous handbag by my side, a memory from childhood came to mind.


See, embarrassing it is to admit, as a teenager, I felt so deprived of material things. I know, I know. It sounds so materialistic and superficial but I was a kid! I didn’t know any better.



So anyway, the memory, it was of little me (ok, not so little la.. teenage me) desperately wanting a new school bag because mine was erm..., yucky looking and, AND quite old.
I got it years and years ago at Globe Silk Store ok! It was just ugly! Simply ugly!
I asked Mom and she replied with a few questions: "Is it torn? Can it not be used anymore?". Of course the answer to both questions is no.
Lacking the tact to weasel things out of my parents which by the way, my younger sister is an expert at, I was stuck with it till the end of my high-school days.
The misery!
Being in a school where kids were from well-to-do families and me being the middle-class kid, was tough! Emotionally tough. You just don't feel like you fit in.
I looked at kids with envy at all their branded stuff strutting around and feeling so good about themselves. How lucky they were to get what their hearts desire.

Look at me today. Lucky, lucky me!

It's not so much about the bag but the fact that I found someone who loves me so much that he is willing to give me everything my heart desires.

When you find someone like that, hold on tight with BOTH HANDS!

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Found this short article from The Sun Tuesday Nov 13, 2007, pg 26, by Dr James Dobson @ Focus on the Family

Stop that comparison

Someone once said that comparison is the root of all inferiority. How true that is.
When you look at another person's strength and compare them to your own weaknesses, there is just no way to come out feeling good about yourself. Young people are especially vulnerable to the game of comparison.
A while back, I was speaking to a group of teenagers at a conference, and I'll never forget the question posed by one young man.
He said: "It seems that everyone has more to offer than I do. I envy the guys who are better looking than I am or more athletic or smarter. I just don't measure up. How can I deal with my own insecurities?"
The problem he was describing is a common one among young men and women. Even at a young age, our self-image are shaped by how we stack up against our peers.
It's not how tall we are that matters - it's who is the tallest. It's not how fast we can run - it's who runs fastest. It's not how smart we are - it's who is the smartest.
Thus begins a pattern of self-doubt that often becomes all-consuming during adolescence.
The answer I gave that young man is one that many teenagers need to hear: when you pit yourself against the best and brightest, you are merely setting yourself up for failure.
Mental health begins with an acceptance of life as it is and a willingness to make the most of the unique strengths and talents you've been given.
When that is achieved, comparison with others is no longer a relevant issue.