Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.
Albert Einstein
One day I went to funeral house with my husband. It was unusual situation for me, because the room was decorated with purple color, in the corner of the room there was a band with four vocalists singing love song. It gave me an impression about saying goodbye with love to someone, that was a great idea and the songs actually make people facing the sadness with an easy feeling.
It brought some idea for me about my funeral one day. I rushed to my husband and children. I said, “This is my will, when I die, please cremate me without the coffin, just put me on the top of the wood logs and just like Indian movie … it looks simple and easy” My husband and my children dropped their jaws. Especially my husband, he said,” Lina, it sounds so easy for you because you don’t know anything at that moment. We can not do it for you. Please consider your Bollywood cremation style. I think you watch too much Bollywood movie”
It was probably true; I have Bollywood influence in my life. Yep… it was because I grown up with Bollywood movie. The Bollywood movies were the cheapest and longest entertainment for my mom when I was a little kid. Each movie would take at least almost three hours. My mom would enjoy her three hours sitting and enjoying the movie without thinking about her routine activities to serve her six children. I always accompanied her to the cinema and I enjoyed each dancing and singing in Bollywood movie. The strongest influence in my life was I like to dance.
My husband didn’t agree with my Bollywood cremation style… so I changed a bit. I said, “Okay if you all can not accept the Bollywood concept… How about during my funeral you have to play all Disney songs for me” This is my children’s turn, they said, “Mom, we know that you love Disney so much… Mickey, Goofy are always your friends… but please consider what people will call us... the insane children, they will ask this is funeral or Disney performance” I smiled and said,” At least you can name it Disney on Funeral… it sounds like the Disney on Ice show. “I laugh out loud.
I always love Disney… no matter my hair is not longer black… I don’t really care… I enjoy being in Disney world. I would dance and sing in Disney Park. That is probably too much influence of Disney in my life.
Actually when I die, I just want people around me, remembering me as a simple person. I came to this world without bringing anything, so I want to return back in the same way. It doesn’t matter when I die… it is really matter when I live… I can share the best of me for my family and people around me. I want my children to let me go when the time comes and they remember the happiness moments that they have spent with me in their life.
I didn’t talk again about Disney and Bollywood… but I always remind my children and my husband… Let’s build the memories in our life… Let’s enjoy the present of each other in life.
Truth is a deep kindness that teaches us to be content in our everyday life and share with the people the same happiness.
Khalil Gibran
**Lina Kartasasmita** 29 October 2011, at 4.44PM
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
“You are in my heart”
Wednesday is always my full day of teaching, but I can not help myself that I love to teach. It was Wednesday evening and I just jumped into my car. I barely hear music in the car, cause I was busy checking my emails and SMS. I got SMS from my brother who asked me to visit one of his friends to share and to give motivation.
All of sudden my phone rang. I heard the old man voice, “Hallo Lina, Do you remember me?” I just answered,” Of course I remember you sir, we met at my parent’s house” His voice was so light and happy, “ O… you remember me, I am so happy to meet you and we had a chance to talk. Finally in my life I met someone like you. I am so happy and you are in my heart…. “The conversation was on and on for almost an hour.
I met him on Sunday, when I was about to leave my parent’s house. A 76 years old man came to the house; he was looking for his long lost friend. He is my parent’s friend. My husband told me that he was a history teacher for 35 years. He has a very keen memory about the history. When I introduced myself to him and he asked me many questions about my own experiences as teacher. I offered him a ride to go home. In the car, he asked me about Confucius concept. I said,” Confucius is the master of ethic” we involved in sharing knowledge. It was actually a very short trip. He was so happy and kept saying he was lucky to meet me. He asked my phone number and he promised to call me. I thought it probably would not happen.
My husband was a bit upset because we couldn’t go to the book store to buy a present as we planed before. I was so tired on that day. We returned home and never talked about that day again.
I was surprised when he did call me just two days after we met. He said,” Unfortunately I have to go back to Nederland; I still want you to share all your knowledge and stories. I hope I have another chance to meet you again. But I am so happy to find you and to meet you in my life” What ever he said about me, it made my day!
I reached home and I shared with my husband about that phone call. My husband said, “We didn’t go to the book shop but you made someone very happy and he will remember you in his heart. That is wonderful result” I didn’t do something special actually, I just shared a simple knowledge and simple stories with that old man. He probably has been looking for someone who could understand his need and he found it.
I just always remember my dad advice, you don’t have to be rich to give, and you can give your smile… as simple as it is.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Mark Twain
**Lina Kartasasmita** Jakarta, 27 October 2011, at 10.19 PM
All of sudden my phone rang. I heard the old man voice, “Hallo Lina, Do you remember me?” I just answered,” Of course I remember you sir, we met at my parent’s house” His voice was so light and happy, “ O… you remember me, I am so happy to meet you and we had a chance to talk. Finally in my life I met someone like you. I am so happy and you are in my heart…. “The conversation was on and on for almost an hour.
I met him on Sunday, when I was about to leave my parent’s house. A 76 years old man came to the house; he was looking for his long lost friend. He is my parent’s friend. My husband told me that he was a history teacher for 35 years. He has a very keen memory about the history. When I introduced myself to him and he asked me many questions about my own experiences as teacher. I offered him a ride to go home. In the car, he asked me about Confucius concept. I said,” Confucius is the master of ethic” we involved in sharing knowledge. It was actually a very short trip. He was so happy and kept saying he was lucky to meet me. He asked my phone number and he promised to call me. I thought it probably would not happen.
My husband was a bit upset because we couldn’t go to the book store to buy a present as we planed before. I was so tired on that day. We returned home and never talked about that day again.
I was surprised when he did call me just two days after we met. He said,” Unfortunately I have to go back to Nederland; I still want you to share all your knowledge and stories. I hope I have another chance to meet you again. But I am so happy to find you and to meet you in my life” What ever he said about me, it made my day!
I reached home and I shared with my husband about that phone call. My husband said, “We didn’t go to the book shop but you made someone very happy and he will remember you in his heart. That is wonderful result” I didn’t do something special actually, I just shared a simple knowledge and simple stories with that old man. He probably has been looking for someone who could understand his need and he found it.
I just always remember my dad advice, you don’t have to be rich to give, and you can give your smile… as simple as it is.
Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Mark Twain
**Lina Kartasasmita** Jakarta, 27 October 2011, at 10.19 PM
Saturday, October 8, 2011
My bucket list
A couple years ago I watched “The Bucket list” movie, the story about two men who did their bucket list before they died. They wrote down what they really wanted to do in their life before they died. That story inspired me to write down my own bucket list. Honestly I forgot where my list is now. It is probably somewhere in my drawer, it is hard for me to memorize it but at least I can always rewrite again and again before I die.
The Bucket list movie came across my mind again when Bhavna asked the question at the end of Toastmaster meeting, “What is in the top of your bucket list?” At that moment I didn’t have time to open my rusty brain to recall my bucket list. So I answered the question spontaneously. The answer was, “I want to give a speech” Bhavna gave comment, “You can always give speeches” Yes it was probably not a special thing to do for a bucket list. I just remember when I was in the emergency room; I was in pain and suffer. My daughter told me,” Mom you can not be hospitalized today, you need to give a speech on my graduation day. Have you prepared your speech?” That statement suddenly burned my spirit; I started to tell my daughters what my speech would be. The spirit pumped blood into my brain and I just forgot my pain. My daughters started to say, “Wow mom, you are getting better because you have to give a speech”
The doctor let me go home on that day; I requested my daughters “If one day I am in the hospital again, please tell me that I need to give a speech. I believe it will heal me soon” We laughed out loud at that moment.
It was really true in my life, I want to give a speech, not only before I die, but in my daily life. I just want to make sure that in my life I have passed the blessings in my life. I want to touch people’s heart and life through my writings and speeches. I want to tell people, it has been years and years for me to learn how to accept these:
I made thousand mistakes in my life, people might forget about it, but I still kept in my minds, I couldn’t accept my weakness and my mistakes in my life. I kept thinking my life would be perfect without doing those mistakes in the past. No body perfect in this world, I just need to accept myself. It took me many years to realize I am not living in the past anymore.
I found in my life I bumped into people who liked to blame me just because I was younger and inexperienced or took my credits for what I have done. I kept asking myself “Why they did that to me? … I deserved to get my credits, that was my creation, my idea” I bind my wound by putting the good seed in my mind, “ People can take my credits or they can always blame me but they can not really have what I have” They can only steal my credit but the ability is still in my mind. I don’t have to be angry but probably I just need feel sorry for them.
It took me almost 15 years to practice how to “let it go…” Letting go many things in life, I can enjoy every moment in the present. I practiced not to live in the past and not to chase the future. Life is simple and short. I just want to pass my life with meaningful.
It is never easy for me to do it with daily basis; it takes encouragement and motivation all the time. By sharing with others, I can always remind and encourage myself to keep practicing and moving forward.
If I have to answer again about my bucket list, I probably will have the same answer.
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
**Lina Kartasasmita** Jakarta, October 8, 2011, at 6.53PM
The Bucket list movie came across my mind again when Bhavna asked the question at the end of Toastmaster meeting, “What is in the top of your bucket list?” At that moment I didn’t have time to open my rusty brain to recall my bucket list. So I answered the question spontaneously. The answer was, “I want to give a speech” Bhavna gave comment, “You can always give speeches” Yes it was probably not a special thing to do for a bucket list. I just remember when I was in the emergency room; I was in pain and suffer. My daughter told me,” Mom you can not be hospitalized today, you need to give a speech on my graduation day. Have you prepared your speech?” That statement suddenly burned my spirit; I started to tell my daughters what my speech would be. The spirit pumped blood into my brain and I just forgot my pain. My daughters started to say, “Wow mom, you are getting better because you have to give a speech”
The doctor let me go home on that day; I requested my daughters “If one day I am in the hospital again, please tell me that I need to give a speech. I believe it will heal me soon” We laughed out loud at that moment.
It was really true in my life, I want to give a speech, not only before I die, but in my daily life. I just want to make sure that in my life I have passed the blessings in my life. I want to touch people’s heart and life through my writings and speeches. I want to tell people, it has been years and years for me to learn how to accept these:
I made thousand mistakes in my life, people might forget about it, but I still kept in my minds, I couldn’t accept my weakness and my mistakes in my life. I kept thinking my life would be perfect without doing those mistakes in the past. No body perfect in this world, I just need to accept myself. It took me many years to realize I am not living in the past anymore.
I found in my life I bumped into people who liked to blame me just because I was younger and inexperienced or took my credits for what I have done. I kept asking myself “Why they did that to me? … I deserved to get my credits, that was my creation, my idea” I bind my wound by putting the good seed in my mind, “ People can take my credits or they can always blame me but they can not really have what I have” They can only steal my credit but the ability is still in my mind. I don’t have to be angry but probably I just need feel sorry for them.
It took me almost 15 years to practice how to “let it go…” Letting go many things in life, I can enjoy every moment in the present. I practiced not to live in the past and not to chase the future. Life is simple and short. I just want to pass my life with meaningful.
It is never easy for me to do it with daily basis; it takes encouragement and motivation all the time. By sharing with others, I can always remind and encourage myself to keep practicing and moving forward.
If I have to answer again about my bucket list, I probably will have the same answer.
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh
**Lina Kartasasmita** Jakarta, October 8, 2011, at 6.53PM
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