The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.114).

TZU CHI 114 47 months. Her husband would tune in to Da Ai TV daily in a bid to help her regain her memory. Her eyes would well up with tears whenever she saw Master Cheng Yen on television. Even Gek Wah herself was baffled as to why she could recognize the Master but not her own family; she felt as if the Master was her own kin. As memories of her family members came trickling back, so did recollection of the time she dreamt of the Master. Before she was afflicted with a stroke, she once raised funds on her own initiative for a dialysis patient who claimed to be unable to afford treatment. But the truth proved otherwise. When she confronted the patient for deceiving her, she was in turn accused of being cold-hearted. She felt wronged and cried herself to sleep. When Master Cheng Yen appeared in her dream that night, she broke into tears and sought consolation from the Master, asking the latter if she had done wrong. In response, the Master shook her head and patted Gek Wah gently, to the latter’s immense relief. From then on, the Master has become Gek Wah’s most reliable source of spiritual strength. Gek Wah is grateful for the Master’s constant company through the lectures broadcast on Da Ai TV. She is also thankful to her husband and children for their love and care throughout her road to recovery by ferrying her to her acupuncture and physiotherapy sessions daily. Anew lease of life As Gek Wah gradually regained her memory, she sought her family’s support in learning to stand on her own feet, walk with the assistance of a crutch and articulate herself.When she was eventually able to walk, albeit with a limp, she returned to the Recycling Centre, taking gruelling steps down the stairs from her home on the 11th floor, accompanied by her daughter. When she finally arrived at the Recycling Centre, panting breathlessly after enduring the strenuous journey, her heart sank at the sight of wilting plants outside, prompting her to take upon herself the task of tending to them. “The elevator in our block breaks down frequently. I would rather take the stairs as I fear being trapped in a malfunctioning elevator. It turned out to be a form of rehabilitative exercise, so I started walking up and down the stairs daily,” she shared. The flight of stairs, spanning 11 floors and 80-odd steps, has proven to be ideal in facilitating Gek Wah’s rehabilitation efforts. Despite the physical challenges, she would insist on making her way to the Recycling Centre daily with homemade sweet dessert soup for fellow volunteers – a heartwarming custom that she initiated since her early days of volunteering at the Recycling Centre. Theplantsat theRecyclingCentreflourished under Gek Wah’s painstaking care. Whenever she took a step back to admire the flowerbed, she would contemplate the parallel between her own circumstances and that of the plants, as both were once on the brink of obsolescence before being given a new lease of life. She was prone to bouts of pain coursing through her legs as she laid in bed at night, yet she was determined not to let her condition set her back from making a full recovery. She looked forward to attending training sessions and being certified as a Tzu Chi Commissioner to carry on Tzu Chi’s spirit as the Master’s disciple. Overcoming hurdles with love In early 2016, GekWah finally qualified as a probationary commissioner under the guidance of volunteer Woon Yeok Fong, but absorbing