The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.109)

TZU CHI 109 43 Uncle Chong (left) sat down with volunteer, Siew Yoon Choi (right) on the edge of his new bed, and thanked the volunteers for giving him a clean and bright living space. Uncle Chongwas pleasantly surprised by the kind gesture, relating that he did not consider buying any furniture when he first moved in, as he felt it would be troublesome when moving out from the rented room. He soon became accustomed to sleeping on a mattress on the floor. “To be honest, I would experience painful cramps all over my body every night before bed. I would have difficulties lying down to sleep at night and getting up in the morning. Sometimes I wished I need not get up at all.” Uncle Chong contemplated buying a single bed frame for himself but could not afford it, so he had no choice but to endure the torment day after day. The volunteers were sorry to learn of Uncle Chong’s plight, but were also pleased to know that the new bed frame and mattress they brought him proved to be the most essential and precious pieces of furniture to him. A bed, a clean and comfortable room, regular meals daily, and lessening pain, Uncle Chong claimed, were all that he needed for a happy, contented life he had long yearned for. Theclean-up,whichwas initiallyestimated to take an hour, eventually stretched on to four hours. The volunteers were exhausted towards the end of the task, but felt it was worthwhile seeing Uncle Chong’s delight at the outcome. Apart from expressing his gratitude, Uncle Chong also indicated his interest in becoming a volunteer. Upon learning of Tzu Chi volunteers’ regular visits to nursing homes, he said he could entertain the seniors by singing classic oldies. He had previously won a singing competition, and was willing to utilize his talent for meaningful causes. He even offered to volunteer his mole-removal services to any of the nursing home residents who want their moles removed. When Yoon Choi and the other volunteers commended Uncle Chong’s willingness to help others, he said, “We need more warmth and kindness in this world. Kindness is priceless, yet everyone is capable of offering it freely.” On December 13, 2018, the volunteers paid a follow-up visit to Uncle Chong’s place and noticed that his wardrobe needed repairing. They found him a second-hand wardrobe to prevent him from misplacing his garments and creating clutter again. Uncle Chong was glad that he could now store his garments in the wardrobe and no longer have to worry about them ending up as rags. He also noted that he has been sleeping through the night comfortably ever since his room was cleaned. The volunteers were pleased to see Uncle Chong’s cheerful smile, and hoped that the spring-cleaning deed, albeit seemingly insignificant, wouldhelp alleviate his discomfort and enable him to live peacefully and happily in his twilight years.