Sitting in the auditorium of World Trade Centre in KL can be quite an experience especially when it is the graduation day for your loved ones. It is a very spacious auditorium; the sight and sound effects were tremendously sharp and good while the atmosphere was indeed a great one. It is cold inside the auditorium while the stewards of the convocation worked with steadfast precision like routine from arrangements of the graduates, the lining up and the walking up to receive their scrolls. The camera snapshots, the smiles and the curt bow when receiving their respective scrolls were such an eclectic sight indeed. Afterall, you don’t want to fall on your butt while at the centre stage, right?
This was the 26th Open University Malaysia Convocation Edition and I had the honour to attend my daughter’s graduation. In this respect, last Monday was the crown jewel jubilation for my daughter, SYuen who finally graduated from her Early Childhood Education Course. I must say with much satisfaction that this is probably one of those times in my life that I could not hide my enormous smile and joy. The parental pride and joy was so evident that even when I do actually fall on my butt as I rise up to give way to a Malay couple who were going out from their seats did nothing to deter me from that beaming pride and joyful feeling. Yeah! It was total embarrassment for taking a tumble like that at the auditorium common walkway steps on the most important day in your daughter’s life but heck, I’m totally fine with that. I could have sworn that I heard the graduates (plenty of them on my left ) gasped in horror and holding their breath but I stood up alright with no fanfare. I had moved to the left and had forgotten that there were steps at the back of me and thereby, the tumble!
Anyway, I realized that it was approximately a 25 seconds fame & appreciation walk for the graduates from the flashing of their name on the giant & humongously big flat screen TV, walking up the steps, getting ready to receive their scroll from the Pro Chancellor , smile and flash their Colgate/Darlie teeth, received their scroll, have their pictures taken and down the steps they go. All in one harmonious motion done with as much grace and poise as you can! WOW! This goes on one by one until the lot ends. It is like a production line in the factory producing human graduates for our society today in lieu of our working market today.
As I sat there seeing my daughter’s name flashing at the TV screen, I felt so proud of her. The feeling inside was enormously good pride and joy……thankfulness and love. Here is a young woman who struggled and worked doubly hard to ensure she finished her studies. It had not been easy for her but she made it good. I still remember her words that rang in my ears that she was determined to finish her studies when she had a hard time coping with her studies. Many hours were spent on words of encouragement, tears , prayers and much effort of helping each other. It was such a struggle then but looking back at all the effort being taken , it was a very satisfying feeling to see her passed her exams and working through the assignments and so on. She poured her heart and soul in ensuring that she finished her course. SLing and I are extremely blessed to have family and friends who helped us along the way and give words of encouragement to SYuen. These successes would not have been possible had it not been GOD. We want to thank and honour GOD for His great mercy and grace upon SYuen’s life. We held on to His promises and steadfastly believed in His love and grace to our lives. So, to GOD be all the glory!
I could not help but feel so proud as I see SYuen mingling and taking pictures with family at the end of the scroll giving ceremony. She had a widened smile and fabulous happiness all morning. I am thankful that Joa Wee & Felicia, Wei & Jade together with my mom-in-law were there to share our daughter’s joy. I could not help but felt so blessed and humbled by the entire occasion. In a rare but extremely beautiful occasion, I could not help but felt so blessed. Many lives had contributed in loving and caring for SYuen. In areas where SLing and I could not provide, many stepped up in their lives and helped SYuen to be at where she is. I am ever so thankful to the family and friends for the undying love, care and concern. They have contributed in one way or another in ensuring that SYuen took those steps at the rostrum in PWTC auditorium today. What joy and good feeling one feels when you have such a support eventhough these same family and friends may not be there physically on that day. I believed SYuen felt blessed in her heart, body , mind and soul that day.
That night as I was driving back from the airport after dropping off Joa Wee and Felicia at the airport, I could have sworn that I could hear snores from both SYuen and SLing. I guess, the common thing which I saw at the corner of eyes were two women of mine in my car having wide smiles etched on their faces with their eyes closed. One was a woman who had given everything she could to love, sacrifice, heal and protect her daughter while the other is a woman who had overcomed her difficulties, trusted & believed in her abilities and worked her socks off to do what was needed . I guess, you want days like that in your life; a day that brings you joy and more joy that you could not hide those smiles even in your sleep. For me, I am so enriched just by knowing that every parent in that auditorium that day could and might have felt what I had felt – a sense of joy , a tinge of good pride and a good dollop of love for their graduating sons/daughters/wife or even a husband.
The rain pelted heavily on the
car windscreen that night from KLIA and all the way home as I drove home but I
wasn’t bothered as it was as if GOD is sending down the showers to wash away
the blues and start anew with a good start. Indeed, I was tired to my bones
after a long day but it was a satisfying one……very satisfying one indeed. I
guess, a smile was etched on my old lined face too that night………….
