"I owe you a great debt of gratitude"

Say a prayer of gratitude

The folks at NST received their productivity bonuses last Friday. Some were happy while others felt that they had been cheated out of their share of the profits.

Their year-end appraisals were excellent; so, why? I have no intention of going into the whys and the wherefores of the situation.

I am more interested in the expressions of gratitude or ingratitude that emerged on the day NST employees checked their bank accounts.

A Facebook post by journalist Suzieana Uda Nagu stood out as being more meaningful than the rest. She told Facebook friends what was on her mind at 5.34am on February 25 when she posted this cryptic message: "Are you smiling now warga NSTP (or NSTP denizens)"?

Several friends responded to Suzieana's status update with all kinds of comments. And it went back and forth.

Suzieana Uda Nagu

Those who work for the company would know what Suzieana was alluding to. The bonus payments which were promised to all staff with high levels of productivity were paid directly into their bank just before dawn broke on February 25.

Apparently many were online at the time to view their accounts. Suzieana wrote: "While most will be smiling ear to ear today, remember that some aren't getting their fair share of the pie. Some got more than they deserved, while others didn't get anything at all. So be thankful for what you got."

Wow! That blew me away! Those simple sentences encapsulate the positive emotions that emanate from the feeling of being grateful or thankful.

It serves as a timely reminder of just how easy it is for me to forget to say "Thank you God for allowing me to live another day".

Comments

A spot of rural tranquillity in Ipoh

Your nerves are frayed and you need a dose of pleasingly rustic ambience without having to leave the city. There is such a spot for you, if you are in Ipoh. All you need to do is head for a block of flats called Kinta Heights in Pekan Lama, Ipoh, Perak, which is next to the Kinta River, one of the main branches of the Perak River. Unbelievable, as it may seem, there are several nasi kandar outlets and sundry shops in the vicinity, set in the greenery, with a view and a walking path. I suggest that you have lunch at Ramli Nasi Kandar and after that, take a very short walk to the river bank for your rural retreat. You might be motivated to spend 10 minutes or more in total silence and tranquillity. This is the place I go to again and again. Ramli Nasi Kandar is next to the sundry shop A short bridge to the river bank You will feel irritated by people putting litter on the ground but I refuse to allow that to distract me. There is a 'Do not litter' notice her...

Dealing with death of a loved one

Today marks the end of Rabiaa's mourning period. She had completed four months and 10 days or 130 days of grieving, the stipulated period for expressing sorrow for Muslim widows. The death of her husband on Dec 30, 2020 was expected but it still came as a huge shock to her. It was too sudden, she felt. Yet observers would not agree. Her husband became bedridden in mid-November after a collision between his big bike and a car which had come from the opposite direction after taking an illegal turn. In addition to being bedridden, Anwar, lost his voice which was the direct result of the brain injury he had suffered after the accident. He was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. How does Rabiaa feel now? The pain is bearable but the memories remain as vivid as ever. She is still unwilling to clear up all of her husband's things and some items remain in their original positions as before he became bound to the bed. His belongings connect Rabiaa to Anwar and sh...

When a card came out of the blue ...

This post is prompted by a remark made by my good friend Wei Lin. She saw me reading a card I had received from a friend recently and said: "Traditional cards are so old-fashioned." I wondered if that was true and decided to probe into the issue. A Google search revealed numerous articles on the debate between traditional paper-based cards and e-cards. Tracey Grady's examination of the pros and cons of each type is informative. In my opinion, e-cards are not substitutes for the real (traditional) ones and they shouldn't be. I treat e-card e-mails with suspicion because spammers could be using them to download viruses and software onto my computer. I have never sent anyone an e-card and I don't plan to; I dislike the cold impersonality of conveying greetings electronically. I have always liked sending and receiving cards the traditional way. The ritual of going to a bookshop, browsing at the card section, picking a suitable one for the recipient and then walking to...

a fleeting stay ...

Search This Blog