Wednesday 29 June 2011

Replacing Loss

Over the last few years I have lost a number of essential but not necessarily treasured possessions. The latest was my multifocals with the retro-look frames, what I used to call my Saloma glasses. I must have dropped them somewhere in Kuala Terengganu last trip.

I've had them for yonks, ever since I had to use reading glasses. I didn't want to look like a granny at work so I had mulifocals made even though I had and still have perfect vision for long-distance.

Last week I had a replacement done, and it wasn't cheap. The optometrist who checked my eyes told me the power I now need for reading is extremely high - 275, 25 shy of a full-fledged magnifiying glass. Time I stop these late-night surfing before I have to start carrying one around like Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

Recently I had also lost...  not physically, but the use of my shocking pink, senior-friendly Nokia. It had fonts huge enough that I could read text messages quite easily even without ye olde reading glasses.

It had fallen about four feet onto hard tiled floor from the banister at the bottom of the stairs where I had parked it. I hadn't expect anyone to want to talk to me at that hour but someone did and the phone fell when it started to ring and vibrate, spilling out it's gut - the battery.

From then on the casing couldn't latch properly and I kept losing the battery connection.  So yesterday after I collected my new focals, I settled for a new Nokia C6-01 which also wasn't cheap but cost much less than the latest Blackberry or iPhone for which I had heard more than enough recommendations. It was an expensive day.

About 10 days ago I had also made another "replacement" purchase for something that I had lost to burglars in 2003. It was unplanned and unbudgeted for, but as most ladies have a fondness for accessories, more so the yellowy, shiny and gleaming kind, I blame the purchase on a moment of weakness.

Although I lament my loss to temptation, there is nevertheless that feeling of gratitude that I at least have the means, on a small scale at least, to indulge in my baser desires.

Yes it has been an expensive month so far.

But they are all wordly possessions... they do nothing to tip the "brownie point" scale in my favour. 

What I should be guarding myself against, as a Muslim who is getting on in years,  is the possible loss of faith and guidance in the remaining time that I have - could be days or could be decades.

And I should be stingy with what little measly credits I've managed to earn thus far since I can lose them all to some person that I have backbitten or wronged in any way, and that I shall be the receiver of all of that person's negative marks in return...  This I think is from a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

Most of us however, feel that a much greater loss is the passing away of someone you really love and respect wholeheartedly, in my family's case he is my Dad. It'll be 18 years this July 12th. Dad was the rock of the family, a stoic gentleman and a role model. He succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 71.

You are irreplaceable, Dad. May Allah place you amongst the righteous.....   Ameen

5 comments:

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Zen,
Betul tu, yang duniawi ni patah tumbuh hilang berganti. Kalau hilang iman atau kewarasan sebagai manusia, lagi susah. Eh chewah...Angelina cakap Melayu lah. Takkan hilang Melayu di dunia (takde kena mengena dengan story ni). purrr....meow!

a.j. said...

auntie. u gave me an insight. thank you.

may Allah bless you with continous hidayah.

amin

Al-Manar said...

So Terengganu was to blame for the loss. Well if your gain there is great, never mind the little loss.After all it gave you an opportunity to get a more expensive replacement. As for the Nokia you are have got yourself a replacement you had secretly dreamt of.

I used to need glasses for driving etc. No one has explained why I can now drive wjthout them, an odd phenomena . As for Nokia I can only operate one under Rm 100/-. Anything beyond that would attract my gradchildren to start doing funny things leaving me furious how to make a call.
But I am grateful to HIM my old machine can still clock mileage.

Nin said...

Some losses can be replaced, some can't. Wonder if I can lose this post-delivery flabby tummy and replace it back with the flat one I lost... hmm....

Zendra-Maria said...

Sorry for this terribly late response folks. No, I haven't lost direction Insya Allah, just internet-challenged.

Tapi Kuching-dari-Sydney yang pandai bertutur Melayu, kalau patah taring tak boleh tumbuh lagi... susah makan kepala ikan nanti

Ayub, Ameen and thank you


Pakcik, I only have myself to blame for losing my glasses, of course not Terengganu, the home of many impressive old machines still cruising up and down the highways and byways...

CONGRATS Nin and all!!! I couldn't lose my flab but after five deliveries, I lovingly call it my five-pack abs hehehe....