a day of many good news

today had been a really long day, running between several places.

witnessed my brother's commencement this afternoon, and although i was bored by most of the speeches (especially those by the vips, because most of them seemed to be giving a guest lecture rather than a graduation or congratulatory oration), i was nonetheless touched by a few that were delivered by their own graduands. they were much more inspiring and engaging, giving the crowd a better grasp of their journey by offering snippets of their college life. as i watched my brother march up the stage to receive his award, i understood what he meant by a huge sense of pride when he attended my commencement earlier this week. while these ceremonies commemorated the end of our education, i am glad to know that both of us have excelled in our own ways, and prouder that he remains the faster runner whom i would always strive to catch up with.

some call it sibling rivalry, but i see it as a healthy kind of competition, that propels me to work harder.

my only regret for the afternoon was having to leave my family abruptly in order to rush for my next appointment, and missing the opportunity to catch up with many of the familiar faces that i spotted among the crowd. many of them were my previous classmates from my secondary school or junior college days, whom i have not seen since we parted for our separate ways.

but i guess when you pit yourself against murphy's law, the latter always win. however, i remember the valedictorian of the day reiterating - "be thankful, that we are rich" - rich not in monetary terms, but rich in our experiences, and rich in our relationships. therefore i reminded myself that i must be thankful for every good thing that has happened today.

the rest of the day was followed by a friend's proposal, whom many of us had the privilege to hide behind the walls and watch the entire process. he went on his knees, and asked for his girlfriend's hand. she hesitated, he persevered, she nodded, he slipped the tiff & co ring on her finger, and finally they held each other tightly as they embrace the beginning of their lives together. we erupted in euphoria, and made our appearance to extend our heartfelt congratulations.

it is not just the marriage of two individuals, but the convergence of two souls, two hearts, and two families. i think it is such a blessing to be able to find a kindred spirit whom you can spend the rest of your life with. and because of that, i think they are really the richest among the rest of us.

hungry and tired, i made my way to my last appointment of the day - a barbeque with some of my closest friends from university. in the two hours, we managed to catch up, reminisce about the past, and even gossip about some of our mutual acquaintances. to sum it up, it was a good time spent with good food and good company. and because of them, i am thankful, for their cooking fills my stomach, their laughter fills my heart, and their friendship fills my life.

so, i have given my thanks for the day, have you?