Pam's Blog (Life, Marriage & Parenting)

God is so good and He always is.  I started having flu-like symptons on Monday and seeked doctor's consultation. As the pandemic is still on-going, I had some worries that I may have contracted Covid-19 and if so, I would not be able to care and be with my son.  On Wednesday, I received news that my results for swab test was negative. Praise the Lord!  On Thursday evening, I had to moderate for the Workers' Party Youth Wing Instagram Live Mother's Day Edition. Before the session, as usual I had stomachache. I had related to some that this is the thorn in my flesh. I believe this made me more humble and grateful. As I was settling in, I told my helper that I would usually also lose my voice when I experience flu. Hurriedly, I did a couple of things, such as, pumped out some breastmilk, changed clothes, opened up my script and placed my phone at the right angle etc.  Finally, as I commenced the session with my guests, I enjoyed the entire session thoroughly with very l...

On Thanksgiving Day, my former partners at work came to visit me and Mendell.  Ever since I left the company, I have kept in touch with these lovely folks.  It was so refreshing to see them and I had the flashbacks of all the kind things that they had done to make my job easier!  I miss our collaboration and had longed to work with them again.   I reflected on all the good things that happened to me this year and I couldn't be more grateful. I thank God for: (1) My husband and our loving marriage (2) Blessing us with Mendell (3) My family  (4) Best friends & good friends (5) Good rest during my pregnancy period (6) Breast milk (7) My unexpected new job (8) All the good people around me  (9) My gifts & talents (10) New perspective about life - Everyday counts!

Recently one of my polytechnic classmates passed away due to cancer.  Though I was never close to her, I felt very affected by her death.  It is not exactly just about the fact that she is my age but I think more about what she shared in her YouTube videos.  You can access them here .  She was living out loud as a great testimony for Christ and I truly admired her for that.  The takeaway for me is to love one another so that others will know that I am Christ's disciple (John 13:35) and to always focus on the good.  Even when she was suffering from the disease, never was she doubting God's mighty hand.  I want to be like her when I face adversity, to believe that God has a purpose for everything that happens.  RIP, my friend.  We shall meet again in heaven. 

29th September 2020: CJ peacefully passed on in the presence of his family holding him tightly and lovingly while he breathed his last breath. We assured him he will always be in our hearts and we love him very much. Towards the end of my pregnancy in hospital, I was afraid that CJ would leave us before Mendell could get to meet him. We spoke to CJ via voice messages and we were so happy that he fought on, determined to see the whole family reunite. It was extremely painful to have CJ leave us but he is definitely without any suffering now. We will meet again, my baby! Look for Happy, she will teach you how to play fetch while you wait for us.

Since I became pregnant, well-meaning family and friends have been giving advice. Most are solicited and some are not. For me I think that when it comes to imparting knowledge, it is important to understand the background and beliefs of your audience. Knowing the 2Bs will shape your conversation(s) with the audience. A work colleague introduced me to Gretchen Rubin's Four Tendencies Quiz. I discovered that I am a Questioner, which means that my dominant tendency is to ask questions. I see myself as a constant learner and not the smartest person in my social groups, hence, asking others questions and doing research is something I enjoy doing. (If you're interested in the quiz, you may want to visit Gretchen's site.) Being pregnant, I realised that older folks tend to advise "younger" folks like myself to abide by some old wives tale.  As I do not live in these older folks' reality and I actually do enjoy challenging ideas, I would just listen and not a...

THANKSGIVING If there's something for me to be grateful about 2020 thus far, it has to be my pregnancy and my company's decision to allow me to work from home (wfh) throughout this almost entire season. When I discovered that I was pregnant in late January, my initial reaction was rather mixed.  I was feeling really glad but I was also very anxious.  Naturally, I am someone who worries.  Having read about miscarriages (where sometimes moms-to-be do not even know the cause of it) and the fact that my mother had 2 miscarriages before successfully birthing to me, my fears felt real.   Hence, when the COVID-19 situation begins to worsen in February, it was to my relief that my company decided to allow me to wfh.  Not only that, I get to wfh till I go for my maternity leave.  At the earlier stage of my first trimester, I was unwell every now and then.  Furthermore, I was frequently concerned about falling down.  This is partially due to my natural...

I enjoy having diverse viewpoints because I do not know everything. At work, my colleagues who are frontliners and clinicians have their areas of expertise and experience, which I do not have. What I put on the table is the running of operations. As much as possible, I would want to consult my colleagues to ensure that any blindspots are covered. Listening intently, asking questions, and having discussions before arriving at a decision results in a better outcome. When people are able to voice their opinions, and when they feel that their voice is respected even if opinions differ, they take ownership of the decision even if it is not their own. I have been volunteering and supporting the Workers' Party because I believe that it is a constructive alternative voice that will speak on issues that matter and propose policies that will make Singapore better. I voted for the Workers' Party not because I am unhappy with the PAP, but because I believe that a diversity of voices repres...