taking chances, making chances

Stumbled upon an old email send by an acquaintance. Quite ashamed to admit that I could not recall this acquaintance, but wherever this friend might be, may all be well with her. And this mail of hers triggered a thought.

Basically, this mail says about a lady who never had been given an opportunity before and quite envious of a great speaker because of the vast opportunities he had, based on his sharing. So, the speaker then give the lady a simple task of writing, which somehow triggered her curiosity to seek deeper knowledge in order to complete the task. And thus, resulting her able to fulfill her dreams and experienced the life she always wanted.

Sometimes, we are just simply stuck in our own world that we thought things should go the way we want to. But when it doesn't, what do you do? Would you sit and wait, or would you break through the wall?
Well, enjoy the story, while you mull over the question.

= begin =

Lecturer Charles Hobbs sometimes tells about a woman who lived in London over a century ago. She saved what little money she could working as a scullery maid and used it one evening to hear a great speaker of her day. His speech moved her deeply and she waited to visit with him afterward. 

"How fine it must be to have had the opportunities you have had in life," she said. 
"My dear lady," he replied, "Have you never received an opportunity?" 
"Not me. I have never had a chance," she said. 
"What do you do?" the speaker asked. 
She answered, "I peel onions and potatoes in my sister's boarding house." 
"How long have you been doing this?" he pursued.  
"Fifteen miserable years!""And where do you sit?" he continued. 
"Why, on the bottom step in the kitchen." She looked puzzled. 
"And where do you put your feet?"  
"On the floor," she answered, more puzzled. 
"What is the floor?" 
"It is glazed brick."

Then he said, "My dear lady, I will give you an assignment today. I want you to write me a letter about the brick." Against her protests about being a poor writer, he made her promise to complete the assignment. 

The next day, as she sat down to peel onions, she gazed at the brick floor. 
That evening she pulled one loose, took it to a brick factory and asked the owner to explain to her how bricks were made. Still not satisfied, she went to a library and found a book on bricks. She learned that 120 different kinds of brick and tile were being produced in England at the time. She discovered how clay beds, which existed for millions of years, were formed. Her research captivated her imagination and she spent every spare moment learning more. She returned to the library night after night and this woman, who never had a chance, gradually began to climb the steps of knowledge.  
After months of study, she set out to write her letter as promised. She sent a 36-page document about the brick in her kitchen and, to her surprise, she received a letter back. Enclosed was payment for her research. He had published her letter! And along with the money came a new assignment -- this time he asked her to write about what she found underneath the brick.

For the first time in her life she could hardly wait to get back to the kitchen! She pulled up the brick and there was an ant. She held it in her hand and examined it. 
That evening, she hurried back to the library to study ants. She learned that there were hundreds of different kinds of ants. Some were so small they could stand on the head of a pin; while others were so large one could feel the weight of them in one's hand. She started her own ant colony and examined ants underneath a lens. Several months later she wrote her findings in a 350-page "letter." It, too, was eventually published. She soon quit her kitchen job to take up writing.

Before she died, she had traveled to the lands of her dreams and had experienced more than she ever imagined possible! This is the woman who had never had a chance. 
Some people wait for opportunity to come knocking. Here is a person who sought it out, proving again that we can be more than victims of mere circumstance.

If given a chance, will you take it? If given no chance, can you make one? 
From Steve Goodier's RICHES OF THE HEART

=end=

wedding bells

Just attended a wedding dinner last night - of a friend of mine. Sat together with a group of ex-colleagues, which now and then we will be touching on the latest company news. It is great actually, to be able to know the latest happenings of the company you left. Maybe, it is to see whether you had made the right choice or not, then. But anyway, the topic here is not about work stuff.

While attending the wedding dinner, listening to the songs played out and watching the videos creatively done, it kind of reminded me of my own. Wedding is good thing, uniting two person and their families together, and getting blessed from the people around them. All the preparations that need to be done and the things to handle on the big day itself are enormous, yet, when all are over, the wedding couple will be left wondering - "Finally... But is that all?"

Seeing how the guests enjoying the dinner was great. Some chatting about the groom, some enquiring about the bride, some trying to take photos or videos of the couple, some admiring on the wedding photography slide show. Of course, there are also some that went off chatting topics apart from the event of the day. Still, people have all gathered for the sole purpose of giving their blessings to the wedding couple. And maybe some might get caught with the wedding "wave".

If you are single, either with a partner or not, when attending a wedding dinner, don't you sometimes get caught in imagining what would you have done, if you are the one walking down the aisle? Would you not be thinking what could have improve if you are the one preparing for the wedding? Or would you be envy and wish that you could have had the same thing done for yourself.

Anyway, for those preparing for their weddings - congratulations and may you enjoy the wedding process.
For those that do not hear their wedding bells anytime soon - keep it up and may you be hearing the blessed ringing.
For those already went through it - do enjoy your marital life and appreciate it.

FIV (10)

My, how time flies (but actually I have been counting the days, too, a bit of nervous trying to know what is going on). I'm 5dpt3dt. Based on the calculation, implantation should either in progress (which end result will only be known on the next visit).

My FET was done on 15-Jul, and today had the second injection (as first was done on 15th itself). Well, good thing about this injection is I don't need to do it myself, but the downside is I need to visit the doctor (or nurse, actually). Was informed that the injection is somehow "oil" based, so better for the nurse to do it. Another one more to go on the 22-Jul, then will wait for the next visit for the blood test.

The whole FET process is actually quite fast, and just prickling but bearable pain. Just that the wait for our turn is quite lengthy as there are quite a number of patients and surgery on that day itself. And supposedly we have direct bed rest for about an hour after surgery, but I ended up slept through an hour and half, though I thought I was pretty much awake all the time and only had forty winks.
Then I was quickly brief on what not to do during the 2WW. Basically, normal daily activities still can be carried out, but to take things slowly and lightly, especially lower body part which include not only activities but also food.
And the medicines gotta continue taking as all have given till the next visit.

Well, now is the long wait of 2WW - another 7 days to go. *cross my fingers*. Though I know we have pretty much did what we could, and what we could not control, we gotta leave it to fate.