On February 14th this year, I had lunch with my favourite “social worker” of Malaysia and dinner on February 15th with my favourite “social worker” of Singapore. Here are 2 ladies who inspire me.
The birthdays of Ananti Rajasingam and Melissa Aratani Kwee, falls a few days before Valentine’s Day.
This story should address my trauma connected to memories around February 14th, stretching back to my era of self destruction.
I am relieved to share that I have overcome Valentine’s Day and I now have love in my heart everyday (up to 366 days during leap years). It is also important for me to declare my intense love for impact making and the types of relationships I prioritise.
Proudly I am a collaboration-junkie, most of the time, while it is also a full time hobby to chase mentorship with people who has leadership in the topics I study. I never look for romance - I dislike being misunderstood and would become disagreeable over this.
On Ananti’s birthday, I thanked God for her parents having conceived her that she was born to serve her highest sole purpose. She was undoubtedly built for the work that has kept her lit.
Ananti being the point person of Yayasan Chow Kit, has been a great collaborator and enabler of my social impact initiatives for over a decade. She became a sister I love with all my heart. I have grown and healed through this sisterhood, a journey that unfurls a better vision for me each year.
Whenever Ananti is on a break from saving children in devastation - between all her other roles being a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend - I cherish that she makes time to be my friend! MY FRIEND!
God’s abundant love comes through Ananti often - clearly I am not the only recipient of her compassion.
This year I had no budget to treat Ananti to a special birthday meal, but instead she asked if I was free on February 14th (her day off) and invited me to enjoy a sashimi buffet on her dime.
Ananti was the safest person for me to see on Valentine’s Day! Now that it is many days after February 14th, I shall emote about it.
I tried to deliberate a hermit agenda on the week surrounding Valentine’s Day because the last years proved to be a bit of a landmine. Let’s call it VDay from here on.
While VDay do not mean anything to me nowadays, there will be certain quarters from my private circles who would be highly inquisitive about who I spent time with on VDay. If you have ever called me on February 13th or 15th onwards, just to ask me who is on my February 14th calendar - well well, this story is for you. Kinda.
The larger reason that I write is for catharsis.
Last year, Ash Wednesday fell on February 14th and I attended service at a grand old church in Kuala Lumpur with a friend (a highly respected man from one of my industries). We were joined by his future SIL. Unwittingly, that led to an unexpected explosion of post-event drama when I was asked about what I did and who I saw on February 14th.