Just a thought...

CNY is a few days away. The festive and holiday mood is also already in place. Most of my colleagues also can’t wait for next week as they are all be missing from the office for a week.

For these past few days, if you look in the newspapers, you will read about many people visiting and handing variety of gifts to the old folks, disabled, orphans etc. This is the norm and expected during festive seasons, be it Christmas, Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year or Deepavali (and some others). There will be long queues of organisations, YBs and prominent people visiting centres or homes for those people in need. And of course, there will be much news like these coming up in the newspapers, TV etc. These people in needs will also have their hands full of gifts, ang pows and many more. They will be shaking hands with big guns of whom they only knew only from TV or the papers.

They may also be chatting with crowd of strangers. Their homes or centres will be filled with the festive mood during that time. Some, like children will be happy because they will receive a lot of attention, gifts and money. Perhaps too, there are people like old folks will just pass those visitors a nuisance. They too may end up in the news like some important people. Of course, these people are treated like royalties during these very season.

Ironically, when the season is over, the crowd goes missing. The big guns is nowhere to be seen. The laughter and joy died. These places becomes quite. All back to ‘normal’ mode. And perhaps these special and people in need will be forgotten, left in the dark, until the next festive season comes around again….

I don’t complain about this situation. It’s the norm everywhere, I suppose. The people in need also used to these situations. In fact we are all are used to this ideas – whenever a festive season comes around, it’s time to ‘give’ to the people in need. Yes. Me too. I am one, not until what I’ve encounter a few years back. That ‘experience’ really opened up my mind, heart and soul…

When I was studying in university a couple years back, I was actively involved in a student’s organisation. We were, as expected from young people, doing lots of activities all year round. And one of them is visiting people in need especially children during Christmas time. We, like many organisations, were buzzing during Christmas and will start looking for centres or homes to visit. We will invite or encouraged members to join in – it doesn’t matter where your heart is – as long as there is a crowd and the visit is successfully carried out.

And it all happens on one particular appointment with a centre administrator of a children’s home, of which we are trying to make as one of our place to visit during Christmas. She spoke these very words, which until today still lingers in my mind:

“We appreciate what you all are doing and we are more than happy for that – visiting us during this merry and joyful season. However, as you all know, other organisations are doing the same too. We actually have 20 groups visiting us this Christmas. Not to mention CNY and other festivities. But once the season is over, it’s all over.

There will be no more visits from anyone until the next festivities, or worse, until next Christmass, apart from visits by a few small groups that is smaller yours, who will come occasionally to be with the children and entertain them. You don’t need to bring lots of gifts or money or anything. Just being with them, organised games, chatting will be just enough and wonderful for them. They are kids after all…

So, why not you all come sometimes when there is no festive season around. There are too many groups already visiting us and sometimes it’s too much for the children. I sincerely hope you all can come when there are no one coming.. we are of course, lonely during these times.. and we are seemed to be a forgotten lot.. until the next festive season comes…”

This very words has open up our mind, especially me. We end up not visiting the centre during Christmas time but we went there at a later date. It’s a weird experience at first, doing this kind of thing out of the norm. But when we did it a few times, it was actually more meaningful than actually doing it during the festive season. We found out that when we visit during festive season, our mind is more or less focussed on the season itself but not the recipients of our visit. By visiting them during off-season, we can focus more on them and it’s really meaningful and beautiful.

Another advantage we found is that when organise our visits off-season, we actually can get more members to join. If we do it during festive season, many have gone back to their hometown for holidays and so on.

That’s one thing that I have learned which really open up my mind. Thanks to the centre administrator who gave us the words or advice and her opinion.

We still do visits during festive season though as there’s nothing wrong with it but our visits during off-season is our main priority. We wanted to make a difference. A difference we did make. Although the idea seemed absurd by many, but after a few visits.. our members did understand.

When I left U, I had the chance organise the same thing during off-season to the youths at my hometown. Perhaps some members find the idea absurd. Some objected it (but behind my back and out of my earshot) although I tried in vain to make them understand. Perhaps there are members who loved it. Maybe the Centre we visited at Sembulan too finds it amusing and out of the norm… but never mind…

I have nothing against visits during the festive season. It is good. It is the norm. Mind you, Hari Raya Aidilfitri is nine months away…