The Ironies of Life & Living - Q

Q had always wanted to be a newsreader on radio. Newsreaders exude an aura of confidence and reading the news over the air gives them an image of being very informative and knowledgeable. Thirty years down the line, Q can only be proud to say that one of her students has made a career of being a newsreader over radio.

The Ironies of Life and Living - P

P  had doted on her three children, especially the youngest. When she was informed that she was having the fourth, she had mixed feelings. How could she look after all four children since her husband had got a transfer to a town far away from his hometown? She would have no help and so would not be able to manage on her own. She felt torn as to what to do but the only solution was to give away the youngest to her sister-in-law who was childless. She then gave her undivided attention to the youngest of the remaining three children. Ironically, years later the youngest of the three was the one who turned against her and seemed to show the least care and concern for her. 

The Ironies of Life & Living - O

O was seen crying in the corner. Her friend asked her what the matter was. She explained that her daughter did not welcome her to stay with her new family abroad. O lamented that all she had wanted was to spend the holidays with them. She was devastated and felt that her daughter was thoughtless and self-centred. The truth of the matter was that the daughter had suggested an alternative date so that it coincided with the school holidays and O could spend more time with her grandchildren. However, O herself was being thoughtless and self-centred because she didn’t consider her daughter’s situation. O's daughter was a young working mother and wife.

The Ironies of Life & Living - N

N observed his stepdaughter’s character. She was quiet and often played dumb. N swore that he would never want a daughter who would be so quiet that she would not know how to express herself. He decided to teach his own daughter from young how to stand up for her rights and speak her mind. Now he regretted it because as a young adult, she had become rebellious and hard to control. She refused to listen to him and was always doing the exact opposite of what he had expected of her.

The Ironies of Life and Living - M

When M saw her mother suffering in her old age, she asked God to take away her suffering. “If you could give me just half of the sufferings my mother is going through, I will gladly bear it,” she bargained with God. M began getting aches in her bones and tingly feelings in her legs. She even had sleepless nights but accepted it in her stride. She was exasperated as even after her mother had passed away, the aches and pains still persisted. It was only a few years later when she realized that her biological mother (who was still living) had been having aching bones and tingly legs. Had she been sharing the pain of her biological mother rather than the pain of the mother who had taken care of her from young?