This is one of those days that I want to leave all my cares behind, sit back and savour the serenity of the moment but there are so many things swirling in my mind right now. Eighteen days into 2008 and I suddenly realise that many things have changed with more to come.
Being married comes with responsibilities not only to the wife but also her family. For the past five years, Wuan was all the family I had. Now that our marital status has changed, her family has become mine too. What is required of the son-in-law? What are my duties, especially during auspicious occasions such as the Chinese New Year?
The one thing I do know is that I have to give away ang paus this year. That is the tradition. I collected my last Chinese New Year ang pau last year. My years of merrily accumulating a small fortune have come to an end. Now is payback time. There are already hints of what is expected from me. I hope the new notes that I have changed are enough.
These are changes that need time for me to get used to. They mark another few milestones in my passage through life. I am learning. I thought my Chinese New Years will never be the same again since Mum died. The last four years were different. Now that I have a family of my own, I wonder how it will be like.