My phone chirped, alerting me that a text message arrived.
“It is cold and snowy. Oh how I miss…”
The number and timing gave me the context of who and where. It was a trigger to remembering days of old. My memories are laced with a sense of belonging and learning. As I reflect, I am caught in little details that provide the texture to the themes that continue to live on. One of the punch lines then and now is this; “You’ll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You’re far happier giving than getting.’” (Acts 20.35)
I wonder if I am aware of the triggers that have come up in the past twenty-four hours. I know that I have caught a few. In the middle of a fun conversation while picking up a shirt, I realized that I was in a replay of a conversation between my Dad and my tailor in the same spot. I find myself reliving the original lessons as I walked out into the sunshine.
Turning the corner, I found myself walking down a colorful back alley on the edge of Chinatown. I know there are those that would have been on the outlook for strangers up to no good. I find myself walking down memory lane, recalling an afternoon where two of us shared a Japanese meal while solving the problems of the world.
As the day unfolded, I found myself in Little India, retracing steps with friends. I eat where we had shared a meal. I walk down the narrow aisles of Mustafa, listening to the sounds of their voices.
My history in Singapore crosses several decades. In my mind, the events blurs into a single memory. I see each as a priceless gift. To each visitor that stop by and spent time in Singapore, thank-you. To those that have walked with me, I call you friends and family, thank-you. The themes of our conversations continue to echo in my life. Your wisdom is a wonderful gift that continues to live.
