The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.115).

TZU CHI 115 41 to find work. He picked up sewing at 20 and tied the knot with his seamstress wife at 28, before moving to Tawau, Sabah. After their children were born, Siew Cheong and his wife managed the tailoring shop by day and handled tailoring orders from their customers by night, often working into the wee hours of the morning. The couple led a frugal lifestyle, scraping and saving to make ends meet until Siew Cheong finally acquired his own tailoring shop at 36. Rescued from despair Just when all seemed fine, Siew Cheong’s wife succumbed to cancer in 2001, leaving their two daughters in his care. In 2005, his tailoring shop was engulfed in a blaze. To compound matters, he was not entitled to claim damages as his insurance coverage had lapsed. The distraught Siew Cheong lost his lifetime’s investments overnight. Sensing his descent into despondency, his daughters invited him to participate in a relief distribution mission for those affected by a fire incident.As he handed out rice to the fire victims, he realized that he had been taking his possessions for granted. He still had a place to call home, his car remained intact and his daughters were by his side. The fire victims, on the other hand, lost everything to the fire. He was able to gradually let go of his sorrow and signed up as a volunteer at his daughter’s encouragement. Siew Cheong’s daughters graduated with a Master’s degree and a Bachelor’s degree respectively in 2006. At the gratitude ceremony organized by the Yi Te Parents Association in conjunction with the graduation season, both daughters knelt before their father to serve him tea and enveloped him in a tender embrace as a gesture of gratitude for his loving sacrifices in raising them. He was moved to tears, thankful to Tzu Chi for instilling in his daughters the virtue of filial piety. The family was reunited as Siew Cheong’s daughters returned to their hometown after completing their studies. He was certified as a Tzu Cheng Faith Corps member in 2011. The impermanence of worldly possessions Siew Cheong counted himself fortunate to have been acquainted with Tzu Chi in his later years, adding meaning to his golden years. He struggled with poverty in his childhood, but now he could reach out to the needy; he had no one to turn to for help, but now he could make a difference in the lives of others. Participating in home visits had enabled him to witness Tzu Chi’s efforts in extending assistance to underprivileged families and bringing hope to their lives. The volunteers’ spirit of unity and their dedication to Tzu Chi’s cause appealed to Leong Siew Cheong and his wife managed their tailoring shop by day and handled tailoring orders from their customers by night to make a living.