I love this song by the Beatles…and I’ve used it before in my English Language lessons to teach social issues…
It’s about this girl running away from home…and these were the things the parents said:
We gave her most of our lives
Sacrificed most of our lives
We gave her everything money could buy…
…Daddy our baby’s gone
Why would she treat us so thoughtlessly?
How could she do this to me?
We never thought of ourselves
Never a thought for ourselves
We struggled hard all our lives to get by…
Well, the answer lies in this line: “She’s leaving home after living alone for so many years. Bye, bye!” I love the message in the song – that parents in their selfish daily pursuit of material wealth should always remember that their child needs more than that – they need love, especially in their formative growing up years.
My daughter is leaving home today but not in the way as portrayed in the song. After three weeks at home – spending quality time together and bonding, eating or just going for a walk or a drive together, it is time for her to go back to the institute in Sungai Petani, Kedah for the final semester in her 1st year. Next year, she’ll be going even further away – to Wellington in New Zealand. Sigh!
Everytime I look at my wife’s potted plant at my house, another favourite song of mine comes to mind – Bob Carlisle’s “Butterfly kisses”
I remember I bought the cassette tape with that song at Mahkota Parade in Malacca many many years ago when I was there for a meeting and staying at the hotel next door. Β I am sure most of you know the song which is about a father bringing up a daughter – from childhood to adulthood up till the day she got married but anyway, here’s the video clip for the benefit of those who have never heard the song before…
My daughter does not like this song though. As a matter of fact, she does not like any of those parent-child songs where the child gets married in the end as she wants to stay and take care of her parents forever. Well, time passes, things change, so we’ll never really know…
As in the closing lines of the song:
I couldn’t ask God for more than this is what love is
I know I’ve got to let her go but I’ll always remember
Every hug in the mornin’ and butterfly kisses…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
Don’t be sad .. She’ll come back .. π She’ll always read your blog, sms.
Not sad lah! That’s just the way it is…and she’ll be having her hols again in August. No plans right now – either she comes back or I’ll go over or maybe we’ll meet in KL…
Haiz… what a sad post… but i guess it is one of the inevitable things in life, children growing up and leaving their parents in search of their own future and their own identity but i am sure Melissa will come back, she’s a very filial daughter ^_^
She is, praise the Lord…but the choice is hers to make. I will not want her to do anything against her wishes. We’ll always be here for her though…
I love the song by Bob Carlisle…
I’m a daddy’s girl after all π
Yes, it’s a nice song – nice melody and beautiful, meaningful lyrics. Good for your English lessons too!
Once they turn 18 and above, they have to leave home and their new phase of life begins… i blogged about this earlier this year before my 2nd son left for his further studies…
Anyway, August is less than 2 months away… time flies… blog for another 50 days or so, u will meet your girl again…. π
I’m fine with it actually… We’ll have to accept that we can’t have things our way all the time. It may be harder for her though as she’s more vulnerable, not that strong…and everytime she comes home, she feels sad to leave. I dunno what plans we have for August right now – maybe I will go over to SP…and then go to Ipoh (and KL), and we can meet up then.
On the positive side, you’ll probably be losing weight once she’s gone… hehe. no more kaki to go food hunting with. SO will you be planning to relocate to Wellington?
Ya, I certainly hope so! Can’t buckle up my trousers liao! Hahahahaha!!! No…maybe will just go to NZ during the holidays…and will probably have to take up more tuition classes next year to make more, so she can have extra spending money there. I don’t think the meagre govt allowance is enough.
I was listening to Phil Collins “You’ll be in my heart” while driving the other day and I felt like crying!!!! So long no ‘sniff’ of the once little girl. But then to us they will always be the little girl in some ways!
That’s the song I used for my retirement video. Sometimes we hear a song and the memories come flooding back…and it pricks the heart. Maybe we’re just such sentimental old fools…
i love it when she leaves sibu – especially when i’ll be the one picking her from the airport and sending her to SP.
MUAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
I’ll just leak out that she’s bringing kompia this time…nothing else. Keep you in suspense till you pick her up this evening! Hehehehehehe!
Nostalgic eh? Always feel like that whenever I have to leave home too π
Especially when it’s going back to “that place”… You should be much better off comparatively, being more outgoing but then again, there’s no place like home.
Outgoing is the right word. Hahahaha! That’s why when I was there, I never liked to stay inside the campus all the time. I went out whenever I could. Haha!
That’s the difference. My daughter will never go out on her own…so she skips meals or eats at the dilapidated and dirty stalls across the road (by the roadside) most of the time except when she can get somebody to go out with her to eat something nice. When she got home the other day, she was a pack of bones – all the bones sticking out, the t-shirt like hanging on a wire clothes hanger… Sigh!!!
Aiyor so kesian hor! Tugs your heartstring everytime you see her coming back boney hor. I opposite wan. Every time I came back my mom will say I gained weight. Sigh!
If only!!! Really so kesian – coming home, all bones! I hope things will be better in New Zealand. Sigh!!!
then STP can go to NZ and blog about the food there!
Wouldn’t be much to blog about then…as I would be eating what the sheep eat! No money how to go and stay there! LOL!!! Maybe go over for extended holidays…. Right now, must save, save, save….
My…so touching. You are missing your daughter already right? π₯ Time flies huh! A moment, they were still little kids..now they are all grown up. I will have my own kids too one day. I’ll give her the best of me. Ha π
Yes, so when are you planning to start? π
Well I’m sure your beautiful daughter is very very appreciative of what you’ve done. And lol at the purple flowers, they really look like butterflies, but with 3 wings! π
She is. My, you’re very observant! I notice that they “close” their wings on hot days and at night…and the flowers only bloom in the morning…
August is just around the corner…if u really have plan to come down to Sungai Petani and KL at the same time..do let me know ya..
if possible, maybe i can plan my business trip up north… I can bring u for mum mum and at the same time u can visit ur daughter.. :0)
( I also can balik kampung at the same time loooo )
P/s: Happy Father’s day to you in advance..
Thanks. Ya…that would be great. Right now, nothing’s fixed. Will let you know once there’s anything definite. I’m hoping to make a road trip…stopping at Ipoh on the way.
Que Sera,Sera. I think everytime our children reach a milestone in their lives,we breathe a sign of relief n then the next…..n the next….
Yalor…a parent’s work is never done…and you have three! LOL!!!
She may not be able to be with you all the time, but her heart will stay close.
This is something very close to my heart. Ever since I started college, time with my parents has been precious, especially after I’ve moved overseas. But our bond have only grown stronger. Time apart make me treasure our time together so much more. I yearn for the days we’ll no longer be apart and I know that day will be here soon.
So, don’t worry, she may be faraway, but her heart is closer than ever.
That is very true indeed… How we cherish each day that we can spend together. It isn’t so bad right now as she’s near enough for us to keep in touch through phone calls any time of day and she can fly back even if it’s just a week’s break…
ang ku is ‘peranakan-hokkien’ specialty. it’s the hokkien tradition to hv ang ku when a child turns 1 month old.
I see, thanks for the info. Have you been here before? Can’t recall…but since your comment is not moderated, I guess you’re not new around here.