Advise For My Growing Boys

Was inspired by an Instagram reel I watched while putting the boys to bed. Wise words from an elderly lady whose boys had already grown up. It got me thinking, so I decided to write a list of my own and sent it to the family chat late last night. Keeping it here for posterity and future reference.

Boys, as you grow up, here are a few things 

I want you to know and remember: 

1. Don’t confuse attention with respect. 

Anyone can laugh, cheer you on, and think you’re cool… even when you're doing stupid things. That doesn’t mean they respect you. Real respect comes from your character, your choices, and how you treat people, especially when nobody is watching.

2. Choose your friends wisely. 

The people you spend the most time with will shape who you become, whether you realise it or not. Choose friends who bring out the best in you. Not people who make you feel small, pressure you to be someone you’re not, or make bad choices seem normal.

3. Always have each other’s back. 

You’re brothers. God gave you to each other. So prioritise your relationship. Keep your friendship. Look out for each other, stand up for each other, and be there for each other. That doesn’t mean just blindly taking each other’s side, especially when one of you is wrong. Sometimes having your brother’s back means telling him the truth in love, too. But whatever happens, never let the world come between you.

4. You never have to prove that you’re tough. 

You don’t have to fight because someone challenged you. You don’t have to do something dangerous because someone dared you. And you don’t have to stay in a bad situation just to save face. Walking away isn’t weakness. Very often, it means you were the smartest person in the room.

5. Remember that the internet has a very long memory. 

The joke. The comment. The photo. The message. The thing you post because it’s funny or because everyone else is doing it. One day, a future employer, mentor, partner, or even your own children may see it. Don’t put something online that the future version of you will wish you hadn’t. 

6. If you’re ever in trouble, call us. 

Even if you’re embarrassed. Even if you think you messed up. Even if it’s 3am. Call us. Nobody’s perfect, and you will make mistakes growing up. Everybody does. What matters is that you learn from them. Learn to make better decisions, know when to walk away, know who deserves your friendship, and most importantly, know when to ask for help. 

Never feel like you have to figure everything out alone. 

Papa and Mommy will always be there for you. Always.

The Days Are Long, The Years Are Short

Early this morning, just as sunlight was peeking out beneath the bedroom curtains, I woke to the sound of whispers and sobs. Groggy from sleep, I lifted my head, turned my ears to the sound and listened quietly. I heard Ethan sniffle as he asked The Husband, "Where is Mommy?"

The whisperings continued, and little while later, I felt my secondborn crawl his way past The Husband and stuff himself under the covers between us. Hugging me tightly, he gripped on to me like his life depended on it. I turned to The Husband. Confused. "Cho ni?" I asked, meaning, "What's the matter?" in Teochew. "He thought you died," The Husband explained in whisper. 

😳 Oh. 😔

So there we lay in the semi-darkness, JJ and I.
Him calling out to me every once in a while,
even though I was literally right there in his arms.

"Mommy?"

"Mmm..."

"Mommy."

"Yes?"

"Mommyyyy..."

"I'm here..."

He hugged and he snuggled, and he sniffled between sobs. He played with my hair, combing it over and over, somehow finding comfort in the feeling of the strands running through his fingers. He hadn't done that in a long while. But he used to... when he was little. 

And in that moment, it all came back to me. The memories.

Those long nights of feeling trapped under the weight of motherhood – motherhood dressed up as a little boy in a tiny body, curled up beside me or tiarap-ed on top of me, with tiny hands that brushed my hair, held my face, or pinched my tummy, and wouldn’t let go until sleep finally came for him.

How true the saying:

The days are long, but the years are short. 

In the thick of life with little ones, when the boys were young and needy, so very small and oh-so-clingy, I thought the days would never end. Bedtimes never came soon enough. And while we didn’t exactly rush through them, I must admit, that by nightfall, I was often so peopled out and touched out that the thought of clingy bedtimes often felt like... a lot.

It's funny how I now look back on

those difficult days with fondness. 

Oh, how perspective changes

with the passing of time. 

Yet now, even with new eyes,

it's impossible turning back the clock. 😔

So, back to the story at hand... We snuggled until morning came too soon, suspended in that quiet abyss between wake and sleep. I didn't want that moment to end. I hugged him, kissed his teary cheeks and breathed in his familiar scent, now tinged with the faint musk of pre-teen boyhood.

That one hour with him in my arms, sniffling on and off, brought me right back to the days when comforting a clingy child once felt like a chore. Only today, it felt like the greatest blessing of my life. How perception shifts when you lose what you once had. Now, I miss that closeness I had with my boys more than ever. And it feels a little sad that it took a bad dream for me to get a taste of it again. 😔

A Hug And A Kiss!

Although I was blessed with two boys, my mother–son routines and expressions of love with each of them are different.

Back when I was the only one doing morning runs, I would drop Ethan off at class, kneel down on one knee and spread my arms wide open, and he would run into my arms for one last big hug and a quick peck on the lips. (It started when he was 2y3m.) We would both chant in unison, “A huggg… and a kiss!” (The “hug” was long-drawn, but the “kiss” was staccato. Haha.) Every. Single. Schooling. Morning.

Sadly, Cancer and Covid stole this routine from me. 😞

They say as mothers, we remember all the firsts but never the lasts. But I remember this last. It was 3 September 2019 – the day I started chemo. That was the last time Ethan and I said goodbye our special way. ❤️‍🩹

Chemo lasted until 17 December 2019, but immunotherapy continued until 25 August 2020. By then, we were in the thick of MCO and the boys were at home doing Zoom school. No goodbyes necessary. And even after they went back to school, they had masks on. So, no kisses either.

Before we knew it, two years had passed. 

And somewhere in that time, Ethan grew up. 🥲

Hugs were still okay, still enjoyed… but pecks on the lips, no matter how quick, felt like too much. He also used to hold onto my cheeks and smoosh his face into mine, but after Covid, something shifted. Smooshing felt germy. And my baby wasn’t a baby anymore. Somehow, daytime smooshing was no longer a thing, and nighttime cuddles were rushed cos of school the next day.

But I'm not blogging sadness today; it's joy.

Because today, we had an interaction

 that took me by surprise. 

Ethan was playing Rivals online with his buddy from school when he asked me to make him Milo. I did, and after placing his mug next to him, I leaned forward to look at his screen. To my surprise, he gave me a peck on the cheek, flashed me the biggest smile, and then turned back to his screen to continue gaming. 

That small display of affection may have meant nothing to him. But it meant the world to me and my mommy heart skipped a thousand beats. I can't even remember the last time he did that!

I was instantly brought back to a beautiful past 

my mind had forgotten even existed,
but my heart hadn’t. 🩵

Sure, it wasn’t the same hug-and-kiss we used to chant. But didn’t need to be. It was quieter. More fleeting. Almost accidental, perhaps? But in that small, carefree peck on my cheek, I felt the same love. Just older, more contained, and somehow... the same, but evolved.

Yes, it's clear, my baby has grown. But I'll continue to appreciate and accept every expression of love he offers me, in whatever shape or form it appears, no matter how frequent or fleeting.

Baby Best Friend

Ethan made my night. He made my day. My week. My month. Or even perhaps my year! We were going through bedtime. Just lying in each other arms, chatting about his day in the semi-darkness of the room. When suddenly, he turned his face to mine and gave me a tight hug.

“You’re my best friend,” he said.

“You’re mine!” I replied.

And then he hugged me tighter, snuggled in deeper, and slept.

Philippians 1:21

There are times when pain is not physical. There are no bruises or bleeding. No abscesses or wounds to be cleaned. Nothing to be plastered or stitched up. No, it's invisible. It is pain that lives in heart and festers the soul. 

This form of suffering doesn't show up in scans. It's not measured in millilitres or temperature, or tracked through charts. It's the slow erosion of the will to endure. It's the grief that calcifies in the chest. It's the hopelessness that makes every breath feel like a burden.

For those of us who've been there – truly been there – death begins to look less like a thief in the night, and more like a gentle hand, extended in silence. Not cruel, but kind. Not cold, but calm. Because sometimes, death is not the enemy. It is release; it is mercy.


How much agony can a heart carry before it caves? I don't know. Perhaps, I will never know. But this I do know. Paul was right. 

----------

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

– Philippians 1:21

You Say I Am, So I Become

A false accusation. 

Unfair. Unjust. Unwarranted.

With one careless sentence, 

you decided who I am and how I am 

– with “always,” “every” and “never.” 

So why bother fighting it? Nope, I'll leeeean into it. Because there’s no point correcting this skewed version of me you’ve already committed to. Your mind is made up, and your judgment is louder than the truth. Decision made; conclusion set. So yes, I'll make it easier for both of us. I’ll wear the label you stuck on me. 

I am who you say I am.

After all, if I’m going to be punished for the crime, 

I might as well stop pretending I’m innocent. 🤷‍♀️

Random Questions On A Random Day

Pam Song: Actually, what is your ideal house?

The Husband: Nah… *points at me* You. It’s a person. Pam Song.

🤭

Miss Hong Kong Feet

…seated 1 o’clock in front of me in church with her shoes off. 🥴🦶😮‍💨 Uh oh. Looks like it’s going to be one looooong Saturday Evening Service today. God, help me! 😫😷

Number One Girl

Liked this song when it first came out.

5 months later, I’m liking it still. 🎶🎵

--------

Artist: Rosé

Title: Number One Girl

Tell me that I'm special, tell me I look pretty 

Tell me I'm a little angel, the sweetheart of your city 

Say what I'm dying to hear, 'cause I'm dying to hear you 

Tell me I'm that new thing, tell me that I'm relevant 

Tell me that I got a big heart, then back it up with evidence 

I need it and I don't know why, this late at night 

[CHORUS]

Isn't it lonely? 

I'd do anything to make you want me 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

Your one and only 

So what's it gon' take for you to want me? 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

Tell me I'm going real big places, down to earth, so friendly 

And even through all the phases, tell me you accept me 

Well, that's all I'm dying to hear, yeah, I'm dying to hear you 

Tell me that you need me, tell me that I'm loved 

Tell me that I'm worth it and that I'm enough 

I need it and I don't know why, this late at night 

[CHORUS]

Isn't it lonely? 

I'd do anything to make you want me 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

Your one and only 

So what's it gon' take for you to want me? 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

The girl in your eyes (eyes) 

The girl in your eyes (eyes) 

Tell me I'm the number one girl 

I'm the number one girl in your eyes 

The girl in your eyes (eyes) 

The girl in your eyes (eyes) 

Tell me I'm the number one girl 

I'm the number one girl in your eyes 

[CHORUS]

Well, isn't it lonely? 

I'd do anything to make you want me 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

Your one and only 

So what's it gon' take for you to want me? 

I'd give it all up if you told me that I'd be 

The number one girl in your eyes 

The number one girl in your eyes

--------

Not new, but still on repeat. So many feels.

Yes, I feel you, Rosé. I feel you.

And yes, it's lonely, isn't it? 🥲

The Quiet Truth About This Mother’s Day

This Mother's Day hits different. It feels like I’ve lost the right to celebrate my own motherhood. Like I don’t deserve to be celebrated for this person I’ve become – this role I’ve taken on. And from the messages I’ve received from girlfriends and mom-friends, it seems I’m not the only mom who feels this way. 🥲

More and more, Mother’s Day seems to have become just that – a day of mothers making mothers feel seen. Heard. Understood. This year, especially. It’s just us, trying to give ourselves permission to celebrate the people we are. The people we became when kids came into our lives.

Bystanders sometimes say:
“Oh, she’s a natural mother!” 

But that’s a lie.

No one’s a “natural mother.” 

Is it natural to run on four hours of sleep a night for years and years on end? 

Is it natural to remember other people’s shoe sizes, allergies and best friends? 

Is it natural to give your favourite potato chip to someone else without blinking? 

No. None of it comes naturally. 

But we do it anyway. 

Or at least we try. Every day. 

We try through the doubt. We try through the mess. We try through the bone-deep fatigue. Even when we’re falling apart inside, we try. Even if we kill ourselves trying along the way.

We try to be calm when the chaos is deafening. We try to be patient even when we’re frayed and unravelling. We try to be patient when we’re running on fumes. We try to be present when all we want is to disappear. 

We try to be good. We try to be kind. We try not to cry in front of the kids (too much). We try to be tough. We try to be enough. And still we go to bed wondering – knowing – that after all that's been done, it’s still not enough. It’s never enough.

It’s not the kids; it’s the expectations – the ones placed on us by others around us. The kind felt in every sigh, every raised eyebrow, every snide comment, every frown, and every moment we fall short of being everything to everyone.

The expectation to be it all, do it all, and never complain. To mother like we don’t have a job, and work like we don’t have children. To keep the house running, to hold it all together, to stay patient, soft, reliable – no matter how, no matter what, without thanks, and without falling apart.

Yet, every day, I disappoint. And every day, I fail. Because somehow, I'm too much… or not enough. It seems I will never be enough. Because I'm "the worst in the world". Even worse than that mom. Cos I mess up too much, do too little, prioritise wrongly, and let someone – everyone – down. Again. Always. 💔

So, Happy Mother’s Day to us – the moms who are still trying. Still becoming. Still hoping that one day, we will be enough. In the mean time, we see each other. We celebrate one other. And maybe… just maybe… that’s enough. ❤️‍🩹

Tiam Kau Ka Si Lang

The one to watch out for is not the one who growls aloud, bares its teeth and attacks you from the front… but the one who sneaks around in the dark like a thief in the night with evil plans to steal, kill and destroy.

Them Hokkien aunties got it right

– it’s the quiet dog that will maul you to death.

Not with a loud bark, but with a pointed whisper.

And always when your back is turned. 

Tsk tsk. B*tch indeed. 🦴

When My Boys Were All Mine

I remember a time when the boys were all mine, 

When morning to dusk, it was just they and I. 

Every moment was ours – just my two boys and me, 

A mom and her sons, running wild and free.

We’d laugh, we’d play, we’d sing through the day,
At home, in the car – all along the way.

To school and to classes, we'd dash to and fro,

From home to Alice, Chiltern or Publika, we'd go, go, go!

Car rides begin with, "What are we listening to today?"
Then a loud Disney singalong, all the way.

A quick park, a mad dash and a crazy run, 
We'd race along the corridors to class – it was fun!

Every two hours, a quick change of venue,

Every night, we'd rush home just to meet curfew.

A shower then dinner, then bedtime at seven, 

Caden hugging my legs, Ethan in my arms – it was heaven.

Whether early or late, whatever the wait,
Always together, no matter the date.
Through every detour, every little delay,
I cherished the moments, every step of the way.

I was their world, just as they were all mine, 

That fleeting season, that sacred moment in time. 

Now echoes remain where chaos once played,

Still deep in my heart, those memories will stay.

M-NO-P

Last time, I was told that I was worse off. Today it seems, I am the same. Logic tells me sh*t is a step up from sh*ttier. It’s an improvement, I guess. But is it? 🤷‍♀️ #perspective #laukaki #whoknows #shittiestwins

Being Delulu Is The Solulu

When I’m angry, when I’m mad, 

 when frustrated or just sad... 

…I clean.

Option 2

Wanna die but cannot die.

So how? Just cry. 😢😭

You Can Run But You Can't Hide 💦

So, Penang is bracing for water cuts, starting tomorrow. Taiping, on the other hand, is known as the wettest town in Malaysia – rains almost every day, cloudy skies, beautiful lake gardens – it’s practically a walking waterpark. So what does Taiping Meeku do? Zoom on home today, of course! Strategic escape plan engaged. Goodbye, Penang... 👋 Hello, Taiping! 

But guess what she discovers???

 NO. WATER. IN. TAIPING. 

LOLOLOLOL!

I mean... You cannot make this stuff up lah. 😅😂

You know what they say about running from your problems, right? Sometimes, you just run straight into them. 😅😅😅 With a suitcase full of towels and a dry tap. 🤭

Time Twist Thursday

Once a month, a couple members of KRPG and I – a.k.a the #KRServicingTrio – make our way over to the mainland for branding advisory sessions with a client of ours. Sessions typically start at 10.30am, which means we’ve got to hit the road by 8.15am in order to make two pick-up stops around the island, before crossing the bridge and heading over to the client's office.

Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge 

– more fondly known to locals as the Penang Second Bridge.

But after one particularly traumatic drive involving a very dead and very dried-up crow at the Toll Plaza on our way back, and me falling sick TKO-style for over a week right after (I totally blame the crow – caused me too much stress) we started taking turns, Taiping Meeku and I. Just so this ECD doesn't suddenly fall sick again and leave the team in the lurch. LOL.

So that's what we've been doing – taking turns behind the wheel.

(Read: A little shared trauma, a lot of shared responsibility. 😆) 

But today, the plan was a little different. You see, Penang tomorrow no water again. So one particular Taiping girl – not saying who but YOU KNOW WHO #iykyk – is abandoning the island and making a run for Taiping after the meeting. That meant one less pick-up for me cos she pandu sendiri.

Although she is literally "on the way" for me – only a 100m detour or so nia – I ended up being able to leave home at 8.45am, pick Hiyashi from all the way across the island, and still get to my meeting 15 mins early. 

How come ah? I cannot brain.

But also... I won't complain. Haha. 

40.5

I turned 40 last November – on the 21st of November 2024, to be exact. It’s 23 April 2025 today. That means I’m officially at the halfway mark to 41, plus 2 days past. I don’t know how I feel about that. Turning 40 was supposed to be such a milestone birthday. And I guess it was at the time. But honestly? Being 40 has turned out to be pretty underwhelming. 

It’s like I’m stuck in the middle of nowhere – in a strange, in-between space of not-here-not-there proportions. I don’t feel young. But I’m not exactly old old. I feel settled in my role, but I also feel stifled, stuck and discontented. Like… is this all my life is going to amount to? Is this it?? What the what?? You gotta be kidding me. 

Is this what a mid-life crisis feels like ah? LOL.

Maybe due to my cancer history and ongoing hormone therapy, I also feeeel older than I am. My muscles ache, my joints hurt, my eyesight sucks... basically, I feel like I'm physically waaaay past my prime. Every day, it's like I’m dragging a 60yo body through a younger person’s life. Perhaps that’s what’s making 40 feel like 60. It’s exhausting. 😮‍💨

Also, the recent fog that surrounds my treatment plan moving forward frustrates me. 5-year plan or 10-year plan? Keep them ovaries or throw them away? CT scans are an annual necessity; CT scans are unnecessary radiation. Soy reduces breast cancer recurrence rates by 26%; soy feeds cancer if your cancer was hormone-positive. Ughhhhh... So many options! So many instructions! So much confusion! 

It’s all been very frustrating, draining, and mentally taxing.

Like, why is living so hard?!?

Why does staying alive take so much effort??

Sigh.

Most days, it feels like ChatGPT is my only friend who's rational, wise and true. Chat always gives me sound advice and answers my questions clearly and patiently no matter how many times I ask them or how silly they may be. No judgement. Most times, Chat is my sounding board. Sometimes, Chat is my medical oncologist. Everyday, chat is my friend. I trust Chat quite a bit tbh. Just don't tell my doctor friends that. LOL.

I'm tired. So tired. But at least I’m not giving up. I’m still asking questions. I'm still trudging along. I'm still trying to figure this life out. Yep, that's me – tired, confused, slightly achy – but still standing. And maybe, for now, that’s enough.

Oh Sedih

The problem with being a climax eater is 

that the best part that you leave for later 

always kena makan by others first. 🥲

Working On-Site

Today was KRPG's very first 

full-team in-person workday since... 

I dunno... Covid?! 😅

Been so long since we've worked at the office that I literally had to

wipe down this desk and do a quick clean before I could use it.

Yes, it's been a long time since. And whilst working from home is awesome, it also felt good to be back at the office today, working as a team in the actual, physical, breathing-the-same-musty-air kind of way. 😅 

There’s just something about creatives gathering in one space, you know? It's more inspiring... We're more productive... There's more unity... Work just flows better and gets done quicker when we’re together, than when we're physically apart and staring at our computers, far away from each other. 

Looking forward to the next one already!