To be love or to be loved

I invited my friend to TeachMe TMC this morning. She is quite interested to find out what toastmasters is all about. When we reached the entrance of AWWA. She saw this wired frame sculpture and she excitedly told me that it's done by one of her disabled friend. Then she saw my vice president of my club and that's her sec classmate! Yah Singapore is so small, its like everywhere u go seems to see people that you know...

This month chapter meeting theme is "To be love or to be loved". Yuan Ping, is one of the speakers today. When i first saw her, she is bounded in a wheelchair. However, she gave me a feeling that she is a very independent and a happy girl. Today, it's her first speech to present. The topic is about herself and her family.

She shared with us about her relationship with her dad. She used to have a happy family until her dad turned into a heavy gambler, always asked for money in the family. Loan sharks almost everyday harassed them. Her family is forced to move house from one place to another place until they got so tired. He begged for forgiveness. The family forgave him over and over again, hoping that he could really changed.

However, he did not changed at all. Due to some embezzled in one of the companies, he was sent for jailed for 2 years. Despite he asked for forgiveness this time. He has lost all the faith and trust in him. The family could no longer need him and no longer able to accept him. They wished that he is out of their life for good.

I felt sad after listening to her story. Such a happy family is ruined by a man's greed. Her harsh environment forced her to be such an independent and a positive thinking girl. We could not choose what kind of parents or siblings we have but we can choose what kind of life we want.

At the end of the meeting, the club president quote:" If you think that someone should love you, you should also learn to love yourself. This world is a mirror, which shows your own image. If you want something from the world, adapt it in yourself."