When 2016 Ends

It seems I post about once a year these days. As I review the year that has been, I want to honour and thank my soulmate. He's been there for me for years but this year has been one where he has quietly outdone himself.

When MIL had to be hospitalised this year, he managed almost everything on his own. He singlehandedly took care of her admission, dealt with the doctors, and her after-op visits. When she came home and was unwell still, he took on the task of getting her set up to be home with us. And when she once defecated all over the house because of the inability to control her bowels, I came home unaware of it all. That took place when we were sans a maid. This was evidence that my soulmate, my spouse and my best friend had cleaned up the place thoroughly,

He managed the girls all on his own while I was away for a week at St. Petersburg. He's the one who manages to get them out for breakfasts on days when I work and he doesn't.
On days that he works and I don't, the girls and I are still wallowing at home in pyjamas at 11 am.

This year, when I ran my first road run -- at the StanChart KL Marathon on Aug. 7 -- he stayed home with the girls. Karen was unwell, too. If it wasn't for him, I'd be sleeping that day away. He had tugged my toes to wake me up just before 5 am that morning because I had overslept after staying awake that night to mind Karen, who had a fever while we had a power disruption.

"Why did you marry daddy?" Kayrin asked me often,

This week it dawned on me clear.

"Because daddy lets me do whatever I want," I said.

Last week, we went for our first overseas holiday in three years. I picked Ho Chi Minh City when SF had opted for Kota Kinabalu,

At the Vietnamese city, SF had looked up the Ipa-nima outlet I wanted to check out, and brought us there. After a large amount of purchases, I wanted to be back for more. This he made happen by getting us there again the day we flew out.

When I want to shop, SF doesn't hold me back. When I wanted to run, he encourages me to in his quiet way. When I want to travel and eat, he's there with me.

We share a love for food but he loves his Penang curry mee while I love Hokkien prawn mee. We love art pieces but he's into abstracts and I'm into water colour paintings. Music we enjoy -- his is loud while I'm into ballads. We love books but no one loves being at home more than him. He's the real homebody, seriously.

To my partner in every way, thank you and I love you.