31 December 2013

2013’s Final Count  Down




  What it looks like right now as I watch from my rear window. Will the forecast of another flood truly come?


I am going to quote something from an article in yesterday’s NST.

“ The truth is, once we live beyond 72 – which is the average life expectancy for men – we are literally preparing to depart….”

Tan Sri Ani Arope, about whom the article was written, knows how to express it better. Now in his early 80s he puts it as  "waiting in the departure lounge of life".

The way he puts it reminds me, now trailing not far behind him in age, of the front pages of my old annual diaries. Just before the end of the last day of the year some sixty years ago, I would be sitting quietly trying to compose my thoughts for the new years. Invariably I expressed my gratitude for whatever success I had achieved, declared my resolutions for the new year and prayed that He would continue to help. Today, each time I glance at what I wrote then (in broken Arabic!), knowing how much of my prayers, and more, have been granted, I can never hold back my tears. Now, the elder ones of my grand-children are at the age I was then. They are totally oblivious of what went through their grandfather’s mind those years when he was at their today's age. They are the fast forward of his future then.  

Strange enough, not once in those old pages I sought for a long life. Now, on my prayer mat I thank Him for giving me my life and giving me my partner in life etc, etc ….”,  and pray that while I sit ‘waiting in the departure lounge of ‘life’, HE would slightly delay the ‘plane’, giving me the chance to catch up with my lost time.

-------------------------

Since I have ceased buying diaries for my private thoughts I am using this ‘open’ diary to wish my visitors and readers another year of success and happiness, mindful of the gifts we all have received in life. And I pray the same as I do for my fellow passengers sitting around me.

_______________________ 

I will leave this last page of 2013 with a part of a well known soliloquy: 

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, 

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.” 

                                      Macbeth



Berkhidmat kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan

22 comments:

madame blossom said...

Salam pakcik,

Makes us think, what have we done so far and if we are ready for the certain ending.

May Allah grant you and us a fruitful life, fruitful for the Hereafter, and a good ending. AAMIIN.

nwar said...

Dear Babah & Mummy,
I shall scribe a few words in your "open diary" the way you always did in my diaries many many years ago during my "quiet rebellious years" (when the world was my oyster so they said). Always the words of encouragement, words of reminder, words of love.

The "waiting lounge" analogy hits my emotional nerve. Like in the movies, flashed in my mind scenes of people running across busy airports trying to catch their departing loved ones at the waiting lounge, to say goodbye before they board the planes leaving them behind.

Until my next trip to see you both, imagine this scribble of mine like one rushing teenager, heart bursting with anxiety not wanting to miss the 'goodbyes', face glued to the glass wall of the waiting lounge, waving frantically to you both, lips synching those age old warm wishes; "i love you, happy new year and may you both be blessed".

kaykuala said...

Dear Pakcik,
It's a fact that one relates ruefully to, given time. Make the most of it within Yang Maha Esa ALLAH SWT's God given strength in mind and body so they say!

Hank
P/S Thanks for the idea.Just posted The Cracked Pot haiku at:
http://imagery77.blogspot.com/2013/12/cracked-pot-resolutions.html

Al-Manar said...

Madame Blossom,

Yes it is the end result that makes the difference. We do our best and pray that it is acceptable to HIM.

Al-Manar said...

Nwar,

The two of us are sitting in our departing lounge, reminiscing, without any regrets, the beautiful past and present, and are full of prayers and expectation that the place we are haeding for would be even be better. We do not mind beiing the broken pot as long as it has helped the seeds to grow, to bloom and ultimately to produce more seeds.

With love

Al-Manar said...

Kaykuala

I wonder how versatile you are to have beautifully produced a haiku from a simple cracked pot. Happy and a more productive New Year, Hank

Anonymous said...

AK and Salmah,

MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU BOTH and family with a prosperous New Year 2014.Coming to think of it 59 years ago, Dec 1955, we left school in search of our future; some continued to pursue tertiary education to became professionals, semi-professionals and the rest nonprofessionals. The bottom line is that, irrespective of our varied earnings, we have survived to build our family. But with introduction of VARIOUS TAXES in 2014, some of us may have to tighten our belts - but for how long? For us, all well above 72, we may survive but what of our children and grandchildren?

We can only hope for the best with ALLAH’s blessing.

Zul

ahmad humairi said...

Assalamualaikum,

Dengan berakhirnya kiraan mengundur (countdown), kita mula mengira ke depan.

"Bangunlah bersolat subuh, walau jam sudah menunjukkan 8.00 pagi."

SELAMAT TAHUN BARU.

NBK said...

Assalamualaykum Pakcik n Makcik. I haven't written for along time in my blog but I do read yours. May Allah bless Pakcik n Makcik a great years ahead, have good and prosperous time with loved ones...

Al-Manar said...

Zul,

59 years is a stay on top of the years before that. Of course we are concerned over the increases - mainly for those after us, as we are already in the 'waiting lounge' rready for the final journey home. Over there we will be paid with fairness. Let's hope we have served HIM enough to have a 'comfortable life, there, my friend.

Al-Manar said...

Ahmad Humairi,

Walaikum Salaam, Cikgu.

Betul lah kata Cikgu itu. Kita pun tahu biar lambat asal selamat.

Semoga tahun baru Masihi tidak kurang membawa keberkatan hepada kita semua.

Al-Manar said...

NBK,

Hope work does not tax you so heavily that you cannot spare half-an-hour or so to post something once a month. Alternatively if you leave a few words in other people's comment box, they will not forget you. I do this as a matter of routine. Some readers just drop me a afew words in my email (shown on my Profile Page). That helps to keep my interest fresh and relationship alive.

Selamat tahun baru kepada NBK anak beranak. Bila nak ke KT beri tahu, ya?

Unknown said...

Assalamualaikum Cikgu,
Just dropping by to wish You and Madam a Happy New Year 2014. Praying hard that `Ganu, Kelantan and Pahang will be spared the 2nd , 3rd so forth Wave.
The 1st one was `sgt menduga kesabaran dan Iman!' for the many, young and old. Tp kini cuaca macam memberi harapan!
Harap you both are sehat walafiat, too. TK for the `cracked pot'
Wassalam

Unknown said...

Assalamulaikum Pakcik, wishing you the best in this journey of life, a blessed one indeed. And thank you for all the beautiful, meaningful articles. Take care always.

Al-Manar said...

Shakirin Al-Ikram,

Waalaikum Salaam
So far we have survived this year's rough Monsoon weather as well as all the previous ones. The sad part is the sight of many who have suffered.

Al-Manar said...

Haslinda,

Waalaikum Salaam,
Have you truly stopped posting? Hope you would reconsider. However, our hope is to see your continued visits.

All the best for you and family with the arrival of 2014.

Unknown said...

Salam pc,

I wish you happy new year and hope that this year will be better than previous one.

Abu Ikhlas said...

Dear friend,

Thanks for your comment to my blog. Anyway you can add my facebook masnoor saad. By the way need to know you more. Yes I am working with mlng petronas as a freelancer. Talk to you again. bye....

Al-Manar said...

Syami,

Waalaikum Salaam.
Syami, I have been wanting to contact you. Please send me an email by Pakcik's almanar email address (on my Profile page).

Hope you are coping well with your studies and each new year would bring more success.

Al-Manar said...

Abu Ikhlas,

There is something very strange about getting to your blog. I kept trying Abu Ikhlas but got I Amsterdam instead. Would you please email me (almanar@pd.jaring.my) your blog. I wonder how I got tom younin the first place. I remember distinctly reading about Bintulu which brought back my memory to a place I first arrived by a 'mosquito' on a school playing field, before a proper runway was constructed, well before the arrival of MLNG. That was 50 yyears ago!

Please oblige me. Thank you.

Fadhil said...

Salam Pakcik,

Very sorry I haven't been blogging for a while. Anyway, 2013 was quite an eventful year for me, which included the trip to Trengganu and dropping by your place. Hopefully, 2014 would be a good year for you and your family too, insyaAllah...

Al-Manar said...

Walaikum Salaam,

I was hoping you would not call it a day as a number of blogging friends have chosen to do, without leaving an inkling. It makes me like following suit, but I have my personal reasons for doing so instead of going back to the old -fashioned diary writing.

We are well into the month of January and I have yet to post something. There are so many holidays, and weddings to attend. Hope all is well with you, family and jobwise.