The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

TZU CHI 106 41 In addition to mobility limitations, he also requires dialysis treatment. But he was not eligible to obtain social aid because during his work days, he did not contribute continuously to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Social Security Organization (SOCSO). To support the family livelihood, his wife, Liew Foung Keung, who used to be a homemaker, was forced to work. When tragedy fell on the family, the sons, Zhi How and Zhi Yen, who are more matured and sensible than the average teens, felt their parents’ helplessness. They took up part- time jobs to ease the family’s burden. After graduation from secondary school, Zhi How works as a waiter in a restaurant while preparing to apply for a study loan to further his studies. Zhi Yen takes up a part-time job at a local noodles shop during weekends, and assists in house chores during his free time. Both children are independent, allowing the mother to focus on work and the father to recover peacefully. Zhi Yen recalled, “I have never taken any pocket money from home since I started secondary school.” The income from his part- time job is sufficient to cover his daily expenses, greatly easing the family’s financial burden. The meaning behind ‘responsibility’ Zhi Yen does not mind his father’s unreasonable complaints when in pain. He accompanies his father in the hospital, cleans his wounds, and carries him to and from the wheelchair. Being an inarticulate person, Zhi Yen only described what he does as a son with one word: “responsibility”. His serious look while uttering the word showed the meaning behind it – his filial affection towards his father, his love towards his mother, his own accountability and his commitment to his family. For a 14-year-old Zhi Yen who has never been trained in nursing, to take care of his 45-year-old father, is understandably, a tough job. However, his mother said, “He does it willingly and has no complaints.” To that, Zhi Yen replied shyly but clearly, “No problem, he is my dad!” When Zhi Yen learnt that his mother wished to have their own home, he told the volunteers, “I will buy a house for my family to stay in in the future.” The volunteers praised him saying, “He is a very filial child with a pure heart, wishing to fulfil his mother’s wishes.” Filled with gratitude, his mother mentioned repeatedly, “It is a blessing to have such a well-behaved and filial child!” “Filial piety is the most important of all virtues.” On December 2, 2018, at the Tzu Chi Study Grant & Incentives Presentation Ceremony, Zhi Yen was awarded the “Filial Piety Award”. He plans to use the subsidy to purchase some reference books in preparation for the Form 3 Assessment (PT3) examinations in 2019. Chien Zhi Yen treats taking care of his father his “responsibility”. [Photograph by Goh Chee Tiong] Today’s Sapling, Tomorrow’s Shade