The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.108)

2019 • 03 22 eature not bear to see her son, Gan King Guan and his spouse, Liew Yean Nee, busily juggling between their careers and parenthood. Thus, she offered to help take care of the grandchildren. She said, “I becameaTzuChi donor in2002, but it was not until 2007, when my daughter-in- law resigned from her job to care for her children, the eldest of whom had entered primary school, that I joined the ranks of volunteers.” She was 58 years old at that time, but to her, it was never too late. She actively participated in various activities and took up roles entrusted to her. From family to humanity With her becoming a Tzu Chi volunteer, Sok Chu’s life no longer revolved only around her family. She also made a shift from self- cultivation to cultivating blessings and wisdom through serving humanity. She was always ready to contribute wherever her service was required in Tzu Chi. In 2008, she assumed the leadership role in her community. It helped her to better understand the Master’s preaching about “learning through experience, realizing through learning and awakening through realizing,” and to correct her bad habits. She proclaimed herself an unyielding and decisive person. But in Tzu Chi, she needed to work with people of different characters. Moreover, her role as a community leader required her to deal with human conflicts and interpersonal issues. Speaking of the resistance she faced, she informed that it was challenging for her to ensure that everyone was heard while maintaining a harmonious atmosphere and being absolutely neutral. Through her experiences, she realized that the best way to solve a matter is to refrain from rejecting or criticizing a viewpoint on the spot, but to reason things out later. Sok Chu recalled that when the Tzu Chi recycling centre in Sri Melati was first set up in 2012, there were neither tents nor containers for shades and storage. The volunteers also faced the issue of some passers-by and homeless people who lack understanding of the initiative breaking into the storeroom and taking away the recyclables. For safety reasons, the volunteers lodged a police report but the issue persisted. With harmony as the priority, volunteers installed a gate outside the storeroom and displayed some photos and information about Tzu Chi’s missions Sng Sok Chu is always ready to serve whenever her service is required at Tzu Chi’s events. [Photograph by Ong Siew Geok]