Friends

This morning I dialled a Chinese friend's number to wish him and family Happy Chinese New Year, had not keep in touch for a while, the last I think was when I sent him sms during the previous year's CNY.

His wife answered it, and we talked for a while and when I asked for him, she cried and told me a sad news that her husband had passed away 2 months ago, due to cancer...

I regret for not keeping in touch more often and failed to know about his illness..

This sad news reminds me that it's going to be the 1st "anniversary" of losing a school friend early February last year (noon, 4th Feb 2008) due to a brain tumour that was detected in December. She went for operation late January and in coma for few days, never recovered...

My friends and I followed her progress, visited her, some stayed and kept her company at the hospital (as Aimy nicely said in her email, "we wanted to be there for her after all the years of friendship we shared"). Few nights before her operation, I received her sms at midnite, thanking us and asking for prayers, not knowing it was going to be the last from her...InsyaAllah, I'll keep on praying..may she rest in peace...ameen..

2 years previously we already had lost 2 friends due to some illness. Losing friends that I grew up with at the boarding school - 5 years of sharing good and bad times, studying, playing, same dorm, same class, etc - makes me realise that I should treasure those who are close to me, be it family members or friends. You never know when its going to be the last time to spend with them.

I hope that I'll always learn lessons from life to become a better person..may Allah guide me, family and friends to the right path...ameen.