Mother's Day had me thinking about Mum Pham as it always does. Mum Pham loved watching TV game shows like Wheel of Fortune and the Price is Right because she got a thrill from seeing other people's happiness. She didn't care about the actual games, some of the time I don't think she even understood what was going on in the show but every afternoon like clockwork she'd be at the TV enjoying other people winning because happiness breeds happiness.
On Xmas Eve my boyfriend kicked me out of my house because he's a jerk...and he wanted to surprise me. When I came home my bedroom door was closed and there was a single balloon stuck on it along with a note handwritten in Vietnamese with a message he'd gotten translated by Dad Pham (swoon, shame my Vietnamese is so bad I didn't understand half of his message until he told me after). BF gave me a pair of scissors and told me to pop it - it was a preview of what was to come. Lots of love and lots of yum.
It's been a rough week for this cat lady... though, am I technically a cat lady if I don't have any cats? Yesterday I farewelled the bright, little bundle of joy that is Frederick, the Great. Only one day after I said goodbye to Tigger Pham. He was a little foster kitten who was rescued by the good people at Animal Rescue Queensland. He was doomed to be destroyed at a few months of age when his heart murmur was discovered. We had hopes his kitten body would grow and heal his heart but it did the opposite causing complications that he eventually couldn't overcome. Sadly, Frederick was put to sleep at 4.10pm on March 9th, 2015 and his body will be cremated. His two final months were filled with much love and playtime and cuddles galore. I hope he enjoyed it as much as we did.
Last night I farewelled my beloved friend of 18 years. Tigger Poojumy Schnoogum Pham was buried at 10.30am this morning. Dad Pham burned incense for her and said a prayer for her sweet, little soul.
I farewelled 2014 in fine style - meaning I caught a hell of a fever in November and didn't recover from post-viral cough until the New Year break. It's been a hectic few months and all of a sudden it's the end of February and Vietnamese New Year. Yikes.
It was mental health week recently. It reminded me I’ve been meaning to write this post for maybe a year now but I’ve never quite figured out what to tell and where to start. So I guess I’ll start where Mum Pham learned that Dad Pham was suffering from mental illness.