SELAMAT TAHUN BARU: Tribute for those who had enriched my life
People sometimes put their milestone on New Year’s Eve. I put mine on the New Year Eve and on the celebration day of marking the end of fasting month or Ramadhan (Lebaran - , surely it is not a word based on Arabic, more likely coming from Javanese). The first, in term of career or professional development and the latter usually to rethink my personal experience. For me, both times is great time to review what I had done all year: What gained, what lost, regret, failure, success, next step, etc. Granted, the year between lebaran it is not the same length like the usual year we use nowadays (that’s why several years ago we experience 2 Ramadhan in a year), however, knowing that a year has passed you by surely worth for a stop and re-think the way you are planning to walk.
Lebaran is a time for family, just like Christmas for the Christian, it is also reunion time – a once in a year meeting with extended family members with whom you will not see again until the next lebaran (if you are still around of course) and remembering family members who has passed away especially the one who had gone recently. It is a day for prayer and time to put aside differences and sit together in civilized manner in the table although sometimes it happens just for the sake of the elder. This year, I remember my sister in-law who has passed away early this year of cancer, my uncle who passed away not long after the 2006’s Lebaran (oddly, although he was healthy at the time he did said that he was not certain that there will be other lebaran for him), my far-niece who died the beginning of this ramadhan and also one of my best teacher in high school, Ibu Asnur, who passed away couple months ago because of cancer. Not long after lebaran, my brother in-law passed away after a year of suffering intestine cancer. He was a fighter and courageous man, who had battled his brain cancer nearly ten years ago.
This end of year, I will also remember the student I lost this year whom mistakes had broken my heart. As a teacher, it is always a mixed feeling to see your students finished their study. Most of the time, you think of them with glowing pride with their achievement, although a bit sad to know that you will probably never see them again. Sometimes, one or two stopped for awhile to help with your projects before spreading their wings for future career. However, in rare occasions there is regret when someone failed to achieve as happened with one of my former student. Until this moment, it saddened me that I had to be the one who pointed out the mistakes and lacks of judgments, and told her to take responsibility for it. BUT I ask not forgiveness for my action, as bad as some people might think it was, it was an deed that might prevent other misconduct in the future and hopefully the experience itself it serve as reminder for her (and also for me).
What’s in 2008? I don’t know! What I know is I’ll always try my best even in rough times. Selamat Tahun Baru – Happy New Year – to you all.
Lebaran is a time for family, just like Christmas for the Christian, it is also reunion time – a once in a year meeting with extended family members with whom you will not see again until the next lebaran (if you are still around of course) and remembering family members who has passed away especially the one who had gone recently. It is a day for prayer and time to put aside differences and sit together in civilized manner in the table although sometimes it happens just for the sake of the elder. This year, I remember my sister in-law who has passed away early this year of cancer, my uncle who passed away not long after the 2006’s Lebaran (oddly, although he was healthy at the time he did said that he was not certain that there will be other lebaran for him), my far-niece who died the beginning of this ramadhan and also one of my best teacher in high school, Ibu Asnur, who passed away couple months ago because of cancer. Not long after lebaran, my brother in-law passed away after a year of suffering intestine cancer. He was a fighter and courageous man, who had battled his brain cancer nearly ten years ago.
This end of year, I will also remember the student I lost this year whom mistakes had broken my heart. As a teacher, it is always a mixed feeling to see your students finished their study. Most of the time, you think of them with glowing pride with their achievement, although a bit sad to know that you will probably never see them again. Sometimes, one or two stopped for awhile to help with your projects before spreading their wings for future career. However, in rare occasions there is regret when someone failed to achieve as happened with one of my former student. Until this moment, it saddened me that I had to be the one who pointed out the mistakes and lacks of judgments, and told her to take responsibility for it. BUT I ask not forgiveness for my action, as bad as some people might think it was, it was an deed that might prevent other misconduct in the future and hopefully the experience itself it serve as reminder for her (and also for me).
What’s in 2008? I don’t know! What I know is I’ll always try my best even in rough times. Selamat Tahun Baru – Happy New Year – to you all.
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