Situation 1
I was in the café with my two international friends. I talked to one of them while another one was ordering the food. I said;
“You know man, I’m happy of leaving this university next semester, but I will leave without the happy ending. I’m not happy with my academic, family and social life. Everything that I have planned just went wrong”

Then,he replied;
‘You know man, if I’m telling you my life when I was in my country, you will cry. You see our Palestinian friend,Mahmoud, he went through the worst life than me. You have better life than us. Just say ALHAMDULILLAH”
It was really touched my heart. I wish this kind of friend will always be here, next to me.

Situation 2
It was on the second Eidulfitri. I had a short conversation with my mom;

“Mom, sometimes I feel very unlucky. I try not to think about it but still when I come back, I will remember the entire thing that happen in the past and still continue until now. I’m return home without feeling happy. I really don’t know what I should do anymore”.
My mom smiled, I look directly to her wrinkles face. Then, she said;
“You know, for you to enter the university and acquired knowledge is the lucky enough. Don’t you think so my dear son?”
I stuck. My heart was crying and I regret for the word that I had said.

Situation 3
I got two supervisors for my project this semester. My co-supervisor, Dr. Waleed always gives me these motivational words every time I meet him;
“You should care yourself more than anybody care of you”.
This quote makes me feel more responsible toward myself and in everything I do.
Then, I asked myself , “do people care who I’m?”

::Faizalkhamis
::6:42 pm
::Sunday, October 11, 2009

“aik, sal buku ni gak yang kau beli? Kan buku ni untuk perempuan? Macam la tak da buku lain lagi ”. Kata seorang kawan

“ entah la, mungkin sebab cover dia yang cantik kot”. Saya menjawab.

“ ehh..ye ke? Entah-entah kau dah ade kot, sebab tu kau nak baca buku tu, jadi kau akan lebih faham tentang dia”. Dia cuba mengusik.

That conversation between me and my friends happened few months ago. My friend argued with me why amongst the many book available in the bookstore, that book (A Walk through Life, Issues and Challenges through the eyes of a Muslim Woman) become my choice. I bought that book long time ago in a bookstore but only finish reading a year later.

I don’t really know why, but one think I’m really sure myself, I always excited when I go to bookstore. I read variety of books, history, religion, politics, science, ideologies etc. Any books that seem to be interesting and will benefit to me, I will not hesitate to buy even though it may cost a lot of money.

I always wonder about women.

My wonders to the women based on the fact the patience and hardworking that shown in my mother’s life. For the last few years my mother used to be my inspiration. The struggle, hardworking, and never give up that built up inside her soul inspired me when I was studying in the university. At that time, perhaps because I already mature, I started to realize how special my mother in my life. Every time I look into my mother eyes, I can feel a kind of spiritual energy transfer that can not be described by any energy transfer formula that ever learned in the school or university. That spiritual transfer that always motivate me at the moment when I feel depress, lonely and at the time when I lost my life. The only thing that can describe this spiritual transfer is the love of the son to his mother.
Perhaps, that is the only reason why I feel very enthusiastic to read this book, to understand more about women, thus understand also the special attitudes that have in my mother as a woman.

The book had been written by a woman, so some part of the book seems to be more inclined and biased toward the woman. But it’s ok, because as a reader we need to be a smart reader.

Here is some of the important points that I get from the book.

1)Women and men are not same
As prominent Muslim scholars form US, Yusuf Estate said, men and women are not same. But there is fairness between them. If you be able to understand this concept, you can see how wonderful Allah swt created the human being. Men and women have been created with their own characteristics to fulfill the role and responsibilities that have been placed on them.Man being created with strong with deeper voice, strong and tough. That’s why man can play him role as protection to the wife and children.
“ Men are the protector and maintainers of women, because God has given the more( strength) than other , and because they support them from their means……….”-an-Nisa’ 4:34

On the hand, women being created with soft personality. A woman normally has melodious voice, beautiful and petite. A woman is submissive, more emotional, caring, patience and always precise in whatever she does. That what make woman different from man and be able to wake up in the middle of night when the newly baby crying, pending for the milk. Man, on the other hand, will continually sleep even he is the one who notice the baby is crying (opps, not all man like that laaaa..).

2)The need for a man
Like a man who needs a woman to support and give strength in his life, the same thing goes to a woman. A woman hopes that man can lead her to sail the life to the future, to provide a good life not only to both of them but also to their coming children. For the Muslim, the task is more, not only to sail a comfortable life in the future, but also to make sure the path they are going through is according to the Islamic principles. Even, in Islam, the purpose of married itself is to attain the pleasure of Allah. No love can be put above the love to the Almighty Allah. In fact, the love feeling between different genders consider as one of the sign in Allah creation;
“ And among His Signs is this, that He Created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your( hearts); verily in that are signs for those who reflect.”-Surah Ar Rum 30:21.

If I’m not mistaken, in Islam when a person get married, she or he is already consider fulfill a part of his religion. It’s mean here that, if the love between the spouses is because of Allah, the marriage and they newly life can bring close to the Allah. Otherwise, if the love because of nafs, then they married may end up with failure in the future after they feel bored with one another.

Married make everything between a man and a woman halal, thus protect the society from the social problems and created the future generation of Muslim with the peaceful and Islamic environment.

3)The Sex Life
The title ‘The Sex Life’ might see to be not appropriate and sensitive to be discussed. But as the 23 years old young man (which is should be mature enough..he..he..),I think it is reasonable to discuss here.

The one which had been born as a normal person cannot deny the important of the sex. Even though you may have many reasons for getting married, the sex desire for sure is an important reason since to it is a part of human requirement and Islam make it halal by allowing marriage.

In the some society, they tend to believe that a woman duty is to serve husband only, so perceive in her mind that husband sexual desire should be fulfill first and forgetting her own need. There are also those who advocate that the wife has no right to refuse the husband right for sexual intercourse, where as the wife no right likes the husband for sexual intercourse. This opinion perhaps, not in the line with the purposes of marriage which is as complement to each other. A wife is a garment for husband and husband is garment for the wife. So, how could be in the sexual matters which related to husband and wife and can create a loving between the spouse can be only the right of the on part only? The role of husband to fulfill and satisfy his wife‘s sexual need can avoid a wife from committing zina out of despair or frustration from being neglected by husband in sexual matter.

4)Nurturing the children
When you are still single, you are feeling lonely. You feel like there is something wrong with you and there is some emptiness in your heart that you need to fulfill with. Other than fill your heart with the taqwa to Allah, you also know that as human being, you need a person that can be your life partner until the end of life. So, you start to find and get married and you thanks to Allah, because at last the emptiness has been filling with the present of a loving one. As life goes on, you start to feel bored with a new life. Then, you start to realize that boring in a marriage life can be eliminated by the present of children and start to plan for it. That’s how the life going on. With the father, mother and children, that’s what we called as family.(Baby’s picture: here)

Children are the gift from Allah swt. They are trust form Allah to the parents, so parents have responsibilities over children and otherwise. Children can be light to the parent if they grow up with the Islamic values being installed in their soul and can also being a pain if they grow up otherwise. Children are born pure and the parents that responsible to shape a child attitudes to what ever their want to be in the future.

There is a story of a man who brought his son to the umar al Khattab and complaining his son act that not respect him at all. Upon hearing, Umar r.a said “o boy, don’t you know what right a father has on his son?

The boy then asks “o commander of the faithfull! Do the children too have right over his father?”

Umar r.a replied by “first, he should search for a good mother. He should marry with virtuous, religious women, and must not marry any questionable nature and doubtful character. Second, he should name the child with a good name, and third, he should impart religious knowledge of child and teach Quran”.

The son replied by said that none of the right had been fulfill by his father.

This story tells us how important of a woman to find a good and righteous man to be a father of her children. The same is expected to a man to search a righteous woman, so that they can nurture and grow up the children to be good person in the future and provide the Muslim ummah with good generation that can built again a great Muslim civilization like what we had previously.

The above points are only few important points that I pick from this book.

That’s it for this entry. Thank you for reading….

P/s:I wish happy mother’s day and happy birthday to my mother. She will celebrate her 49 anniversary( if im not mistaken) this coming friday ,15 may.

::Faisal
::9:12 pm, in Library
::Wednesday,May 13,2009

I read this article few days ago and I really like it.i posted it only important point and Just want to share with all of you.

“Look, you have pain, you don’t like it and you’re afraid of it, yet you hold onto it! You have to learn to let it go because you are not in control anyway.”

“Do I hold onto the pain?”

Can I do that I wondered.

“And it’s not just your own pain; you also have to feel the pain of others.”

“Mine is more than enough!” I declared, almost laughing. “More than enough!”

“When you feel the pain of others it helps you to bear your own.”

“How?”

“Well, look what’s happening now. You’re telling me how you feel; don’t you
feel better having done that?”

“Yes, actually I do,” I said in deep thought.

“And as I listen to you, I feel calmer and I feel less pain. We benefit each other.”

“Do you feel pain too?”

“Everyone feels pain.”

“Life is so hard.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t forget that everything has two sides. For all the marvelous emotions that can fill our being there is also darker emotions. You can never appreciate beauty, truth or joy without having experienced their opposites. If we only experience beauty and happiness, we would be angels! But remember Almighty Allah says that the righteous human being is higher than the angels – so feel your pain, enjoy it and grow through it!”

I closed my eyes and let the waves of pain wash over me. I didn’t resist them. I waited. They passed. I opened my eyes. There was calmness.

“So what did you learn?” she asked.

“I survived it. It passed. Everything changes.”

“Yes, accept change and accept yourself. It’s the only way you can start to build.”

I felt stronger. The pain had edged its way into the background, and left me with a sense of clarity– tranquility.

“Where did you learn all this?” I asked. “Is there a book I should read?” As if anything could be so easy.

“No,” she laughed. “Allah the Almighty puts His signs in the universe all around us. Anyone can see them and understand them, even if he can not read!

It is up to us to comprehend the messages He sends to us and learn from them, or situation is repeated situations until we understand. Our ability to do this depends on the state of our heart.

“If you look back at your life, and compare yourself in the past with how you are right now, you will surely see many changes and developments. You are not the same person you were ten years ago. Try to remember the signs you had along the way. Try to remember what guided you,” she explained.

I could remember.

“Change is a part of life, don’t resist it. Learn to ride out whatever happens, and know that joy is contained in and around hardships.”

“Tell me about your life,” I asked her. “What was the changing point in your life?”
“
“There have been many really. I learned that helping others always brings about something positive.”

“Please explain.”

“Well, if someone comes to you with a problem that is counted as negative. Then you try to help them, comfort them, and support them then that is counted as positive.”

“But won’t the negative of that person counteract your positive?”

“Remember what you’ve learned about Math at school? A negative and a positive make a what?”

“A positive!”

“Yes. And a positive and a negative make a positive, and a positive and a positive make a positive…”

“Yes, only a negative and a negative make a negative,” I realized.

“That’s why we should always return evil – a negative – with goodness – a positive, then the whole thing will transform into something positive. Isn’t life amazing?”

Just think about it…..

::Faisal
::6:07
::Tuesday,April 21,2009

As Salaamu‘alaykum and peace to all,

For this entry, I brought to you the story of Iman Bukhari ,a well known muslim scholars who authoring the hadith collection named Sahih Bukhari, a collection which Sunnis regard as the most authentic (Arabic: Sahih) of all hadith compilations and it is a most authentic book after the Qur’an.

Here is the story

In Al-Fawaaid Ad-Daraaree, Al-‘Ajloonee related that Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) once travelled by boat on a journey to seek out knowledge and that he had taken with him one thousand dinars. One of his fellow travelers ingratiated himself with Iman Bukhaaree , outwardly showing him love and admiration. During the sea voyage, the man often made it a point to sit in his company. On the long journeys, friendships develop faster than normal, and during the course of the time they spent together, Imam Bukhaaree informed the man that he had one thousand dirhams with him.

The morning after Imam Bukhaaree spoke about the money, the man woke up and began to cry,scream,rip his clothing apart , and slap his own face ,as I he had just been afflicted with a great loss. His fellow shipmates asked him what was wrong and he refused to answer at first, as if he was still in the state of shock and could not bring himself to speak about his situation.

After they continually insisted that he tell them what the matter was with him, he finally said,

“ I had a bag that contained one thousand dirhams ,and I lost it”.

The crewman who was in charge of the ship began to search for the passengers. One by one everyone was being searched, and upon realizing what was happening, Imam Bukhaaree, making sure that no one was looking, threw his bag of money over the side of the ship. When it was his turn to be searched, nothing was found. When the entire ship and all of its passengers were searched, and when no bag of money was found, those authority on the ship went back to the man who made up the story and chastised him for making a false claim and for putting them through so much trouble. As soon as the ship finally reached shore, the passengers began to disembark.

Meanwhile, Iman Bukhaaree’s old friend went to him and asked him what he had done with the bag of money.

“ I threw it into the sea,” Imam Bukhaaree said.

“ And you are patiently accepting the fact that you have just lost such a huge amount of money ?” the man asked.

“O ignorant one,” Imam Bukhaaree said,

” do you not know that I have spent my entire life gathering the Ahadeeth of messenger (PBUH) and the world now acknowledges my trustworthiness. Would it then have been befitting for me to subject myself to the accusation of theft? And shall I lose the precious pearl (i.e., my knowledge and achievement as a scholar) that I have earned over a lifetime over a limited numbers of dinars?”

A lesson from this story is that, knowledge is not equal with the money or anything else in this world. Knowledge, if we acquired for sake of it can shape our attitudes and akhlaqs like what happen during the time of muslim scholars.

Some of us might wonder how can Iman Bukhari become so great, perhaps this one of the answer;

Orang bertanya kepada Ayah Imam Syafie tentang bagaimana boleh mendapat Imam Syafie yang faqih dan bijak sejak dari zaman mudanya lagi. Apa rahsianya? Jawab Ayah Imam Syafie ” Aku mendidik Syafie sejak aku belum berkahwin lagi (bermula semasa memilih calon Isteri – Ibu kepada Syafie) “

p/s:picture from wikepedia.com
p/s:Extracted from the biography of Imam Bukhaaree, compiled by Salaahud-Deen ibn ‘Alee ibn ‘ Abdul Maoujud, and translated by Faisal Shaafeeq.

::Written by Faisal
::2:55 p.m
::Wednesday,April 08, 2009

“Kadang-kadang saya menitiskan air mata sebab kakak (panggilan keluarga kepada Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd. Kamal, gambar) terpaksa berpuasa sebab tidak ada wang untuk beli makanan.

“Tetapi alhamdulillah, kakak memahami keadaan keluarga. Malah kakak menjadikan ibadah itu sebagai rutin pada setiap hari Khamis dan Isnin sejak berumur 12 tahun.”

Mahu saja saya menitiskan air mata tatkala baca berita di atas. Cerita tentang hidup seorang gadis berusia 18 tahun yang tidak mahu mengalah dengan hidupnya. Semua kepayahan dilaluinya dengan tabah dan menerimanya sebagai cabaran untuk berusaha dengan lebih keras.Dia tidak tengar menjadikan kemiskinan sebagai alasan untuk tidak belajar. Malah kemiskinanlah yang membawa hidupnya sehingga berjaya mendapat 19A1 dan 1A2 sekaligus menjadi pelajar terbaik di Malaysia. Itulah dia Nik Nur Madihah Nik Mohd. Kamal,gadis dari Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Arab Maahad Muhammadi (Perempuan).

Rasa bangga dan sedikit terharu yang datang dalam jiwa saya ini adalah kerana apa yang dilaluinya hampir sama dengan kisah hidup saya di zaman remaja dulu.Pernah ke sekolah tanpa membawa wang selama berbulan-bulan lamnya,kadang-kadang balik ke sekolah,tiada apa yang hendak di makan malah adik, Lehud pernah menangis lantaran terpaksa memakan maggi dengan nasi selepas penat pulang berkayuh basikal.Tapi itu semua tidak menjadi halangan buatnya, dan sekarang dia sudah pun disekolah menengah dengan bantuan penuh kerajaan setelah cemerlang dalam peperiksaan.

Setiap kali saya melihat penderitaan orang-orang yang miskin serta tidak mempunyai hidup yang teratur, saya akan terus mengimbau masa silam. Pernah satu ketika, tatkala menonton tv tentang penderitaan rakyat Palestine, saya terpaksa menoleh pandangan kearah lain, tidak sanggup melihat keadaan mereka yang hanya makan sekadar roti dan minum air tidak berih yang terdedah kepad penyakit. Pernah juga , ketika tengah makan tengah hari,saya menolak makanan ke tepi kerana terkenangkan masa lampau dan keadaan keluarga di kampong. Tatkala saya sedap menikmati hidangan nasi ayam dan jus epal ,apa agaknya yang ibu dan adik-adik saya tengah makan?

Di rumah saya pula tidak ada apa sangat.Yang ada hanyalah sebuah tv yang dibeli dengan harga RM 300 dan sebuah radio usang yang masih lagi berfungsi dengan baik. Tiada peti ais untuk menyejukkan makanan, tiada sofa untuk tetamu. Tetamu-tetamu yang datang terpaksa duduk di atas lantai beralaskan tikar. Bilik tidur pula dipisahkan bukanlah dengan dinding kayu,apatah lagi konkrit,tetapi hanyalah beberapa buah almari yang diambil dari sebuah sekolah asrama secara percuma. Setiap kali saya pulang, tiada tilam empuk buat tidur. Tapi hanyalah sebuah tikar buat mengalasi badan. Sewaktu hari keraian seperti hari raya, rumah pasti sesak,semuanya akan pulang termasuklah saya , lehud dan seorang lagi adik perempuan yang tidak tinggal dengan kami sejak kecil.

Jadi, cerita kecekalan dan kegigihan Nik Nur Madihah sedikit sebanyak menyebabkan saya terkenangkan kembali hidup saya. Ceritanya hampir sama. Cuma yang bezanya, dia cemerlang,saya pula, keputusan SPM hanya cukup-cukup untuk ke universiti.

Berbaloikah?

Hazlin Hassan dalam NST menulis;
But while many look to their success for inspiration, opinions remain divided over how successful they really are, and if the craze over scoring a string of As should be encouraged.

Critics say the scramble for As is unhealthy, and they point out that academic qualifications alone do not quarantee success and that there is more to being a genius than a string of As.

Beliau menambah;
Some think that the government should limit the number of subjects that students can register for, to make more time for extra-curricular activities and to develop soft skills like teamwork.

Jika kita melihat kembali, pelajar-pelajar yang cemerlang kebanyakan datang dari keluarga yang tidaklah sesusah Nik Nor Madihah.Kebanyakan mereka mempunyai kekuatan kewangan yang agak baik dan menjadikan tuisyen berbayar untuk meningkatkan prestasi pelajaran.Dalam kisah gadis ini,dia tidak sangat mempunyai apa-apa. Bapanya hanyalah seorang nelayan manakala ibunya pula merupakan pencuci.Jadi, salah satu cara untuk melepaskna diri keluar dari kesusahan hanyalah dengan belajar .Walaupun mungkin kejayaan dia dipertikaikan kerana selain pelajaran,aspek lain juga perlu dititikberatkan, tetapi sebagai seorang yang tidak punya apa-apa,adalah wajar baginya menggadaikan masa terlibat dengan actiiviti-activiti lain?Adakah wajar baginya untuk menghabiskan masa dengan aktiviti-aktiviti lain yang jika pun cemerlang tidak akan sangat membawanya keluar dari kesusahan?

Tidak wajar bukan?

Jika anda berada dalam sebuah bilik yang gelap dan mempunyai hanya satu pintu untuk keluar, sudah tentu anda akan berusaha dengan gigih untuk membuka pintu itu. Jika tidak ,anda akan terus berada di dalam kegelapan buat selama-lamanya.

Beliau menambah lagi;
But others, including parents, believe that the environment has become so competitive that they have no choice but to encourage the children to cram in as many qualifications as they can, in order to have the upper hand, when it comes to applying for scholarships, university places and later on, jobs.

I expect impressive qualifications such as 20 1As would certainly open more doors for you than if you’d only scored a string of mediocre Bs or Cs. Hence the dilemma facing parents and students today, over whether they should jump on the bandwagon at the risk of sacrificing their childhood and youth.

::Written by Faisal
::11:01 p.m
::Monday,March 09, 2009

Assalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera kepada semua,

Setiap kejayaan yang datang dalam hidup seseorang pasti akan ada respon dari orang sekeliling.Respon ini tidak dapat dielakkan kerana hidup kita sentiasa berhubung antara satu sama lain, melainkan anda seorang yang tidak suka berkongsi kejayaan dan kegagalan dengan orang lain. Respon kepada kejayaan dapat dibahagikan kepada dua, respon positif dan respon negatif.

Respon positif biasanya datang dari orang yang dekat dengan kita seperti ibubapa, adik-beradik,kenalan-kenalan rapat dan boleh jadi juga orang-orang kampung anda. Ianya datang dari perasaan gembira dan terharu melihat kejayaan yang anda kecapi.

Cuba bayangkan siapa yang tidak bangga melihatkan anda yang dulunya hanyalah anak petani miskin, kini sudah di Universiti dan kelak akan mempunyai kerjaya yang baik? Tentu orang kampung bangga kan?

Respon negative pula timbul hasil perasaan kecewa , kurang senang dan dengki dengan kejayaan yang anda perolehi.Respon ini datang dari orang yang mempunyai masalah dengan anda, berselisih faham, berdendam, bertikam lidah dan lain-lain perkara yang menyebabkan dia tidak boleh melihat anda berjaya.Orang yang mempunyai respon ini rasa tidak senang hati dengan kejayaan anda walaupun ia langsung tidak memudaratkan hidupnya.Meraka merupakan orang-orang yang secara diam-diam bersaing dengan anda dalam bidang yang diceburi.

Respon negative ada juga baiknya.Ianya mendorong seseorng untuk bekerja keras, rajin dan tidak berputus asa dan mahu menjadi lebih baik daripada orang yang telah berjaya.Perasaan yang tidak puas hati menyebabkan seseorang itu mahu membuktikan yang dia juga sehebat orang lain. Namun , harus berhati-hati, kerana dengan menjadikan perasaan tidak puas hati sebagai semangat, anda mungkin kecewa dan bertambah sakit hati sekiranya anda gagal dalam usaha anda.

Cara yang sebaiknya, jadikanlah respon positif sebagai cara untuk memajukan diri. Dengan berlandaskan sokongan dan strategi untuk berjaya dari orang yang sudah berjaya, anda mampu memperoleh kejayaan.Gunakan perasaan gembira dari berkongsi kejayaan sebagai lonjakan yang anda juga mampu mencapai impian.Setiap kali anda teringat akan kejayaan mereka, ianya akan mendorong anda untuk mencapai kejayaan yang sama.

Jadi,dimana kedudukan anda?

Jika anda mempunya rakan-rakan yang berjaya, berilah respon yang positif. Dan jadikanlah kejayaan mereka sebagai lonjatan dan semangat untuk anda mendapat sesuatu yang diingini.
Jika respon anda positif, memuji kejayaan yang mereka kecapi,insya-Allah, mereka juga akan mendoakan kejayaan anda.Mereka juga pasti tidak keberatan menolong anda dan memberi semangat dalam usaha anda itu.

Jadi,jika anda sudah membaca entri saya kali ini, ketahuilah saya sentiasa mendoakan kejayaan anda.

::Written by Faisal
::8:44 p.m
::Thursday,March 12, 2009

As Salaamu‘alaykum and peace to all,

Like the little fish, we always afraid of changes. Fear of change in our life, change in our relationship, change in our environment and every other thing that involve a move toward out of our comfort zone and routine way of living to another that is strange to us. We enjoy dreaming for better lives, but most of us are afraid to face the challenges toward our dreams. We stop short of making it reality. Preferring to stay with the familiar, we avoid taking risk, so that we do not have to change .Embracing changes need to a lot of courage and positive thinking. Avoid change and we stop the process of growth and learning in our lives. Avoiding change is not good since life itself about improvement and can only be achieved if we dare to change our life. As mention in the our Holy Book, al-Quran;

“…Allah does not change the circumstances of any people until they have changes what is within themselves…”-Surah Ar Ra’d ,13:11

Choices are always there for us to decide and the strength to change our circumstances comes from within us. Embrace the changes and do the necessary Hijrah for betterment, we will find Allah swt as our Guide and Helper.

P/s:Extracted from the book, A walk Through Life by Norma Kassim

::Written by Faisal
::1:15 p.m
::Sunday,February 08, 2009

As Salaamu‘alaykum and peace to all,

“A son’s sacrifice towards his parents is not complete until a situation arises whereby he buys and frees his parents from becoming slaves.”

As we already know, we cannot deny the greatness of our beloved parent’s sacrifice, how they have spent most of the time lives to secure our future; their children’s future. From the time we were infants until we become useful people, they care for us. This is a story that relates to their sacrifice; a story about a boy and a tree in a countryside.

Once upon a time, when a boy was a small child, he used to play with a particular tree everyday as a hobby. Tree was very happy and wished that it could stop time from going on so that it could stay with the boy forever. But time goes on by and the boy gradually grows older day by day, year by year.

Eventually, he doesn’t play with the tree anymore. So, the tree becomes very sad and lonely. One gloomy morning, as the tree was standing alone, remembering the happy days they had together, it got a shock joy as the boy come back. He had come to ask for money and the tree didn’t hesitates even the least to give and sacrifice all it had with its capability, shedding all its leaves to give to the boy, leaving it bare and cold. The boy went away happily but didn’t return for along time.

A few years passed by and the boy has grown into a handsome man. Eventually, he came back to visit the tree, asking yet another favor for wood to build of his house. Once again, the tree sacrificed itself and was partly cut down. But again, the boy left the tree alone and never come back anymore.

In this story, the tree symbolizes our parents. The reality today is just as such. Children never appreciate their parents’ sacrifice but always asking for more. Parents, on the other hand, never abandon their children’s hope and sacrifice all they could. Some nowadays think that money could pay for what they have done, that is by giving their parents money. Actually, this concept is totally wrong. Always remember, love has no substitute, be it billions of dollars or ringgit, no value can match the price of love. One thing need to remember is that, even if you service your parent for whole of your life, you still cannot pay for what they have done for you. The parent’s sacrifices are invaluable.

::Written by Faisal
::3:55 pm
::Friday,December 05, 2008