micro memoir

The Only Possession I Need

As I approach my seventies, I am increasingly aware that one day I will leave this world empty-handed.

That realization has made me a minimalist.

I am emotionally detached from most of my possessions.

If necessary, I can pack my belongings into a backpack and leave at a moment's notice.

So if you ask me about a possession that I treasure, it is not a watch, a car, a house, or even the books I have written.

The possession I treasure most cannot be bought, sold, or inherited.

It is the assurance that God is with me.

I have lost money, jobs, opportunities, and people I love. The one possession that has never left me is my faith in God.

Through success and failure, abundance and hardship, that faith has remained constant.

Everything else in my life may one day disappear.

That will remain.

The most valuable possessions are often the ones we cannot hold in our hands.

Learning by Ear

When I was younger, I wished someone had taught me to play music by ear. I learned the Electone by reading musical notes. That helped me play songs that were written on paper, but it did not teach me how to play from my heart. I could not hear a

The Question

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" The classroom buzzed with excited answers. One girl whispered, "Whatever makes my parents happy." Nobody asked what would make her happy.

The Pet Finder

In 2008, I quit my corporate job. I had no clear plan and did not know what I would do next. So I prayed and looked for opportunities. While reading the classified advertisements in the newspaper, I noticed a problem. Advertisers were paying $45 a day for three lines of

The Marble Table

As told by Li PL As the sun began to set, I made my way to my favourite marble table beneath a large tree on the university campus. The evening breeze stirred the leaves as students hurried past with backpacks slung over their shoulders, each chasing a future they hoped

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Learning by Ear

The Question

The Pet Finder

The Marble Table