Perhubungan Adik Beradik

Membesarkan anak-anak memerlukan kesabaran dan kefahaman. Tetapi tiada siapa pun di dunia ini yang dapat memberi kita ramuan yang terbaik bagaimana untuk membesarkan anak-anak. Kebanyakan ibubapa hanya menggunakan 'instinct' untuk mendidik anak-anak mereka menjadi orang yang berjaya. Begitu juga dengan mama dan bapa dalam mendidik anak-anak semua.
Kami cuba cara yang telah diajar dan diturun oleh ibu bapa kami, dengan harapan anak-anak akan menjadi seperti mana kami menjadi. Tetapi kami sedar, dunia kini sudah berubah. Kalau dulu kami dibesarkan dengan zaman sains tetapi anak-anak kini dibesarkan dalam zaman teknologi. Pengaruh yang dihadapi juga berbeza, tidak sama seperti mana mama dan bapak alami dulu. Kalau dulu, satu kampung itu 'padang' permainan kami, kini untuk anak-anak keluar dari kawasan halaman rumah sahaja telah cukup untuk membimbangkan kami. Persekitaran telah berubah. Pengaruh juga telah menjadi semakin mencabar. Kalau dulu, atuk dan nenek tidak tahu langsung apa-apa yang dilakukan oleh mama. Mereka tahu segalanya baik sahaja. Tetapi sekarang, dengan ibubapa yang semakin bijak dan pandai, anak-anak juga mesti bertambah bijak dan pandai untuk mempastikan ibubapa tahu perkembangan anak-anak.
Kalau dulu, atuk dan nenek tidak pernah ambil tahu apa yang mama buat. Tetapi setiap saat dan waktu, mama akan pastikan apa yang mama lakukan tidak akan menyakitkan hati mereka. Mereka tak perlu beritahu yang mereka sebenarnya ambil berat pasal mama, tetapi mama tahu yang mereka memang mengambil berat. Harapan mereka tinggi menggunung. Walau tidak pernah sepatah pun perkataan 'sayang' yang keluar dari mulut mereka, mama tahu mereka sayang mama. Mereka tak perlu peluk atau cium mama setiap hari. Tetapi mama tahu kasih sayang mereka tak pernah berbelah bagi. MEreka sanggup laku apa sahaja untuk memastikan yang mama akan berjaya. Bagaimana untuk tidak memenuhi kehendak mereka yang ingin melihat anak mereka berjaya? Mereka risau? Sentiasa!!! Tetapi setiap kali kerisauan itu diredakan dengan kejayaan anaknya, kerisauan itu hilang.... membawa kebahagiaan yang berpanjangan.
Tiada ganjaran yang diingini oleh ibubapa dari seorang anak, melainkan ingin melihat anak-anak mereka berjaya. Memang kejayaan adalah sesuatu yang sangat subjektif. Adakah kejayaan itu bermakna mendapat keputusan yang cemerlang dalam peperiksaan? Kalau itu yang dikatakan kejayaan, memang sukarlah untuk memenuhi kejayaan itu. Bukan itu yang dimaksudkan. Kejayan mungkin membawa ertikata yang berbeza kepada orang yang berbeza. Tetapi bagi mama, kejayaan itu bergantung kepada definasi masing-masing. Seseorang itu mungkin telah memperolehi wang berjuta tetapi masih tidak puas hati.... itu bukan kejayaannya lagi. Bagi mama, kejayaan itu ialah apabila anak-anak berjaya mencapai apa yang dicitakan. Tak kiralah apa yang dicitakan!!!
Mama dan bapak tidak akan berada di dunia ini untuk selama-lamanya. Kami ingin pastikan apabila kami tiada lagi nanti, anak-anak merasa puas dengan apa yang dikejarkan selama ini. Jangan jadikan wang ringgit sebagai ukuran. Jadikan kebahagian hidup itu satu matlamat. Apabila kita bahagia, kita boleh membuat segala amal ibadat, segala pekerjaan, segala apa yang kita inginkan. Fikiran kita juga akan lebih positif, tiada sikap prasangka terutama sekali sesama adik beradik.
Hubungan yang baik antara adik beradik amat perlu. Yang tua mesti sentiasa mengambil berat tentang yang muda dan yang muda pula mesti sentiasa menghormati yang tua. Sikap bertolak ansur tanpa mementingkan diri sendiri amat penting. Apabila anak-anak suka mementingkan diri sendiri, hubungan sesama sendiri akan pincang. Apabila pincang, maka mudahlah anak-anak mencari jalan keluar.... meluahkan rasa tidak puas hati dan sebagainya kepada orang asing. Sungguh menyedihkan hati dan perasaan mama dan bapak sekiranya itu yang berlaku. Ambil berat antara satu sama lain kerana hubungan yang sepatutnya paling rapat ialah hubungan adik beradik. Kita tidak boleh bertukar adik beradik. Kita boleh bertukar kawan. Kawan datang, kawan pergi. Bila kita bertukar tempat, kita juga bertukar kawan... Adik beradik? Untuk selama-lamanya... sehingga kita mati.
Hubungan adik beradik ini sama seperti kita menanam pokok. Kita mesti baja, cantas, buang rumput dan semak yang sentiasa melata disekelilingnya. Kalau kita biarkan pokok yang kita tanam itu, enam bulan lagi, bila lihat semula, kita tidak akan kenal lagi dengan pokok kita itu! Pokok itu sudah jadi pokok hutan!! Begitulah hubungan kita sesama adik beradik. Kita mesti sentiasa memupuk perasaan kasih sayang.... kerana mereka lah yang menjadi tempat pertama kita mengadu sekiranya kita mempunyai masalah nanti.... bila kita dah meningkat dewasa. Kawan-kawan? Ketika itu nanti, baru kita kenal siapa kawan kita nanti!!!
Seorang kawan bapak menceritakan perihal keadaan mereka semasa mereka susah. Kawan-kawan yang rapat, semuanya melarikan diri. Kalau tidak ada adik beradik yang membantu, mereka tidak tahu bagaimana untuk mengharung hidup mereka lagi. Suaminya mengidap penyakit yang doktor tidak tahu apa puncanya. Dia dibuang kerja. Dari duduk dirumah banglo, mereka terpaksa merempat di rumah adik beradik. Mujur semasa mereka senang, suaminya banyak membantu adik-adiknya. Semua harta benda mereka habis dijual kerana ingin mencari wang untuk menampung kos perubatan suami. Adik beradiklah membantu membesarkan anak-anaknya, memberi tempat tinggal dan makan minum.
Ambillah berat antara satu sama lain. Hati mama dan bapak merasa gembira sekiranya tahu yang anak-anak mengambil berat antara satu sama lain. Jangan pentingkan diri sendiri sahaja. Ingat..... setiap kebaikan yang kita buat, tuhan akan membalasnya... begitu setiap kejahatan yang kita lakukan. Tuhan akan membalasnya!! Jangan ambil sikap tak suka ambil tahu pasal adik beradik yang lain. Kadang kala sikap 'penyibuk' ini penting juga kerana ada anak-anak yang tidak suka beritahu perkembangan dirinya kepada orang lain. Senyap sahaja....membuat mama dan bapak risau sentiasa. Kita tidak mahu sesuatu yang buruk berlaku ke atas adik beradik kita dan kita menjadi orang yang terakhir mengetahuinya. Bukankah pelik itu??? Kita buka duduk di hutan. Kita hidup dikalangan masyarakat. Sekiranya kita bersikap begitu baik dengan kawan-kawan dan orang yang kita tidak kenal, mengapa kita boleh bersikap demikian untuk adik beradik kita? Sepatutnya kita mengambil sikap "bila orang cubit di bahu kanan, bahu kiri terasa sakit juga".

Ramadhan dan Hari Raya

Cepat sungguh masa berlalu. Sekarang sudah masuk hari ke lapan hari raya. Kawan-kawan, ramai yang telah mula bekerja. Terasa malas pula untuk mula bekerja. Keenakan duduk di rumah terus terasa di dalam hati. Banyak kerja rumah yang perlu dibereskan. Ketiadaan pembantu rumah semenjak bulan Februari tempoh hari perasaan ini rasa seronok pula membuat kerja-kerja rumah. Kalau dulu, semua kerja siap dibereskan oleh pembantu rumah. Memang penat, terutama sekali bila anak-anak juga tiada di rumah untuk membantu.
Hari raya tahun ini agak berbeza sikit kalau dibandingkan dengan tahun-tahun lepas. Shu beraya di rumah mertua buat pertama kali. Tidak pasti apa perasaannya kerana diri ini tidak pernah melalui keadaan begitu. Rumah mertua dekat sekali dengan rumah orang tua. Bahiyah seperti biasa berada di Moscow. Ini merupakan hari rayanya yang keempat. Sedih? Sudah pasti walau pun sepatutnya hati ini sudah lali dengan keadaan itu. Yang tinggal di rumah hanya tiga orang - Mardhiah, Zabid dan Radhiah. Mujur mereka bertiga ada bersama. Kalau tidak, tak tahu bagaimana untuk membendung hati dan perasaan ini.
Persiapan hari raya dibuat serba sederhana. Bila anak sudah dewasa, mereka akan membuat persiapan sendiri walau pun kadang kala mereka mengajak juga mama dan bapak mereka untuk membeli pakaian. Tetapi tahun ini kerana perbelanjaan yang besar sudah dibuat semasa majlis perkahwinan Shu, tiada lagi baju baru dibuat untuk mereka. Mujur mereka faham dengan keadaan ekonomi keluarga.
Sebenarnya, hari raya adalah mengenai keluarga. Kalau anak-anak dan pasangan kita tidak ada, hari raya tidak membawa apa-apa makna. Hati dan perasaan akan merasa hambar. Hari raya adalah hari kemenangan kita melawan nafsu. Tetapi bulan Ramadhan yang sebenarnya membawa lebih banyak makna ke dalam diri. Terasa sedih bila mengerjakan sembahyang terawih buat kali terakhir pada tahun ini. Kita terpaksa menunggu setahun lagi sebelum Ramadhan menjelang semula. Bulan yang penuh dengan rahmat dan pengertian. Seperti tahun-tahun yang lepas, saya dan suami mengerjakan sembahyang terawih di rumah. Seronok kerana dapat mengerjakan amalan itu dengan penuh tekun dan keinsafan. Alhamdulillah, tahun ini sembahyang terawih dapat dikerjakan sepnenuhnya.
Mudah-mudahan Allah memanjangkan lagi usia dan memberi kesihatah yang baik kepada kami untuk menjalankan amalan ini pada tahun-tahun akan datang. TanpaNya, siapalah kita sebenarnya.

selamat hari raya

kepada mama dan bapak,
selamat hari raya!
i miss you both so muchbaya minta ampun dan maaf
tersilap tutur kata dah segala dosa harap dimaafi

buat kak shu yang meraikan aidilfitri buat pertama kalinya di perantauan
dan abang irwan
selamat hari raya!
jangan lupa duit raya untuk baya yang sungguh la comel ni!!!
=P

kak dea,
baya mintak ampun
yang tercubit
yang terlepas cakap
yang terguris hati
yang termakan
yang terminum
sama ada disengajakan atau tidak
selamat hari raya~!
jangan rindu baya sangat
=)

abang zabid yang bulat,
selamat hari raya
baya minta maaf atas segala kesilapan baya
baya tau
baya suka kutuk
suka usik
semua tu untuk merapatkan silaturrahim saje...
=P
jangan makan rendang banyak sangat yea??
nanti lagi bulat dari baya macam mana?
XD

ewa,
kak baya minta ampun dan maaf
kak baya selalu je cari gaduh
selalu cubitsuka mengusik
but that brought us together, didn't it?
missing you so much!
selamat hari raya
makan banyak-banyak sikit
bagi gemok!!!

salam dari perantauan,
bahiyah binti nor

from russia with love

it has been exactly 25 days since i left malaysia. and the truth is, i've been missing home ever since i got here. i could not even begin to say what i miss most.

ramadhan passed by without me realising it. with classes and lectures, there wasn't much time to think about eating. it will soon be the fourth aidilfitri that i'll be spending far away from home. i thought i would get used to it, but i supposed, i never will. i am not sure what the plans are for this year, although i am not in the mood for another hassle at the malaysian embassy. classes will be on as usual, so i guess raya is not much of raya as i will be spending the first of syawal in the classroom, studying pathological anatomy =.=".

my roommate and i met our new housemate today. we're not very happy to see her actually. the new housemate is an indian from india, a 6th year student. point no. 1 of being a student in russia: indian students from india are dirty. only indians from india can survive living in the same apartment with another indian from india. my roommate and i tried our best to stay positive about this - hey, who knows, maybe she's not like any other indians from india. but we grew to resent her as she came with an arrogant attitude, with no respect for my roommate and me. despite that, both, my roommate and i, wanted to welcome her to the apartment with a smile. well, they say a smile is contagious. hopefully we will get along with the new housemate.

moscow's getting colder day by day. autumn's here. the leaves are turning yellow, and falling from the trees. if there is one thing i miss about malaysia, it would the warm tropical climate with no unpredictable weather. the sun shines almost everyday, and you get to sweat everyday... haha. but moscow on the other hand, makes you want to climb into bed and hibernate all day long =).

i am missing home as i speak. with raya around the corner, i can imagine what it is like at home right now. everyone should be back home by this weekend, mama will soon start anyam-ing the ketupat, ewa will be occupied with her school work and at the same time trying her best to keep up with the tv shows and raya preps, kak dea will always lending her hand... abg zabid? let's just say that he's occupied too ;-P. as for bapak... hurm, let's see, he'll be busy cleaning around the house? hehe.. i wonder how the dodol turned out for this year... been three years since i last taste our family's dodol.

anyways, this is bahiyah from russia, with lots of love. dengan ucapan selamat hari raya. memohon ampun dan maaf, dari hujung rambut ke hujung kaki atas segala silap dan salah. makan kuih raya ingat-ingat ler orang yang jauh ni... =D

Being A Parent....


What does it mean to be a parent? When I was a child, whenever I did something to hurt my mum's feeling, she would say, "wait until you are a parent." Sound like a warning, isn't it? Well... true enough. When you are a parent, you actually know and realize the feelings that your parents went threw when we did something that they did not approve.


When my children were young, those feelings of hurt did not actually hunt myself or my husband. We always tell ourselves that they were children. They were allowed to make mistakes. But now when the children are all grown up, those feelings have changed totally. Same mistakes that they made when they were small did not hurt our heart as much as now. Now... whenever they raise their voices to me can mean a lot and cause a lot of hurt. Did I feel this way before? Nope!


Just now, I received a phone call from my niece. She was telling me about her older sister who is almost 30 years old, treating her mum (my sister). I was so shocked. I could not imagine how insensitive children can be to the extend that I told her to ask her sister to get out of the house. She is treating a mum like a "maid". Even I did not treat my maid like that. She is rude, seldom give her hand to help her mother in the house and she expect her mother to clean, cook and do everything in the house. How can a child that we have brought up with love and caring can grow up to be so ungrateful?


Children need to understand. It is not easy to bring up a child. When you had your first baby, everything is trial and error. With the pressure in the office, from your husband, form your in-laws and from everyone around you, everything that you did were trial and error. You hope and pray that you have done the best for your children. If your parents are not around to support you, the pressure is greater. If the children are born a year apart, the pressure is worst! You really have to struggle. The nights that you did not have enough sleep, the days that you can't take a break and the moment you can't even take a bath. Only a parent will understand the situation.


Children out there.... be grateful with your parents. I wish I can still tell my parents how much I love them. I was never closed with my mum but I tried my best to be a daughter that she wanted. I have obeyed her wishes throughout her life... including marrying the guy that she wanted. Some people might not understand my relationship with her. Even though I might not be like my sister's relationship with my mum, I love her very much. I wish I had the opportunity to take care of her when she was in her old age. But she refused when ever I asked her to be with me. She wanted her freedom and to be with her friends. She told me she was bored when ever she was in my house. Everything would be done for her. She wanted to do what ever she liked... something she felt that she would not be able to do if she was in my house. I promised myseld that after she came back for her hajj, I would want her to be with me. In fact, when my husband and I built our new house, we have taken that into consideration. But... I could only plan but ALLAH knows best. My mum past away while performing her hajj.

My mum and me

I still miss her. I miss the small talks that we had. When ever I felt like talking to her, I would just pick-up the phone and dialled her number. There were a few times I did that after her death. Once I realized she is gone, I slowly put down the phone and my eyes will be covered with tears. I dreamed of her a few times after her death. Everytime I met her in my dream, I would hug her tightly and she would kiss my cheeks. During the first months of her death, I would always dream of her but now, she appears less and less in my dreams. Before she passed away, she asked me what do I want from her. All her other children have asked various things from her. I told her, "I don't want anything more from her. She has given me enough. What I want is her happiness. " She just smiled!


Parents only think of their children happiness... How many children actually think of their parents happiness? I wonder.....


My world

I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. It’s a rewarding world. But my second one is far superior. My second one is populated with characters slightly less eccentric but supremely real. Made of flash and bones, full of love, who are my ultimate inspiration for everything.





Nor bin Ismail is a kind, decent, unfailingly generous person. He is my twin pillars. Without whom I could not stand. He showed me the meaning of life. He proved to me that I’m great outside and in. He showed that a rough world can be easily crossed with a great, strong heart. He taught me how to be strong and face the world with a mighty heart. My father told me that everything I do, I must do with my heart. I don't know if he know that I’m proud to be his daughter.



But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend, the dazzling woman from whom I received my life’s blood, Zaharah Bakar. My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn’t do whatever I wanted to do or to be whom I ever I wanted to be. She’d done more than a mother could possibly do. She fills her house with love and fun and books and music, unflagging her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Patty Smith. She proved that nothing is impossible in this world. Even a rock can be as soft as cotton and as light as feathers. She showed to me the world meant nothing without love and care. As she guided me through this incredible 18 years, I don’t know if she ever realized that the person that I most wanted to be was her. Thank you, Mama. You’re my guide post for everything.

A Message From George Carlin

A Message from George Carlin, who's wife recently passed away:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.