One Thing I Know I Have Plenty Of ....

I just came back from another short trip. This time, it's my hometown - Pematang Siantar. We call it P.Siantar, Siantar or simply Xtar now. Wow, I am surprised I can find a wikipedia page about it. :D And yes, that's my town and Jalan Merdeka is where I stay.

It's the time of the year where most Chinese will gather and go back to spend time with their family. It's Chinese New Year! This time I chose to go back to my hometown and spent time with my parents. :) Along the way, I got to spend more time with my naggy granny and generous aunt and uncle whom I've always been very close to since I was young. It's a great mini family reunion indeed.

Besides my family, one thing I know for sure I have plenty of from this trip is that I have lots of great friends. Well, there are a few belong to the "irritating" category where they keep shoveling you with their ideas and plans when you don't want to participate in it. But overall, they have been really great! Nice catching up and lots of discoveries.

Some have gone all the way out to help me and some have made sure I had a great time in my town. I'm truly touched. Some simply appear at the right time and at the right place after 13 years, that was really a nice surprised.

But I've also learned that not all friends are great. There are some you simply need to cut loose for whatever reasons that do not tick with you. I used to be a keeper, I try hard to keep as many friends as possible thinking that "oh ... every soul is precious." But seriously, I've come to learn that's simply bullsh**. There's no such things as everyone deserves your time and attention. Some are really meant to be cut loose, sooner or later, you will discover them. To my surprise, after some purging, I have made rooms for more newer and greater friends.

Now ... I appreciate the friendships that I already have, I have an open mind and a pair of opened-eyes to make sure new friends keep on flowing, and I also train myself to purge and discard those who have not been creating any values in my life. Values to me are not just something I get from that person, but when I can't see how I am able to give and contribute to one's life anymore, adios, my friend. I'm sorry. Our paths have made their decisions to take on separate ways.

Another thing I know everyone has plenty of is that great friendships are available for everyone as long as one's willing to work on the balance in the game of giving and receiving; be it time, attention or simply acknowledgment. You'll be as surprised as I was, am and forever will be.