Vanilla
by Eunice
That syllable our eyes first stumbled across remains strangely stuck and engraved somewhere among those memories. Those black letters were carved onto the pillars of a beautiful home, nesting a clan of some of the most amazing people who defines the epitome of grace, respect, stature, character, love and dignity.
Ironically, the name given to this home reflect the family’s expertise, makers of the most renowned artisanal ice cream in Malaysia, Baskin Robbins. And of all flavours chosen, Vanilla won the votes. As common as we think that taste might be, it is actually one of the most essential extracts that enhances just about anything and everything it marries. Talk about that little dot in the pod, as small as it may be, it does great big things.
And yes, it definitely reflects what this home cultivates within and the children that carry themselves with such grace. You’d probably be thinking each time Jia Ming flashes that boyish sheepish grin of his, saying the silliest things that makes you crack up into tears but only to find Whey Jinn rolling her beautiful doe eyes next door. Honestly, it is really endearing. It’s the littlest and simplest things about them that keeps you ever intrigued and amazed at the same time of what a classy duo this combo makes.
“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs; the ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile and who love you no matter what”
- Maya Angelou
Throughout their journey we’ve had the privilege of sailing along, we have to admit learning more than a thing or two. Filial piety being first and the unduly respect Jia Ming and Whey Jinn both have towards their families. Each pictures carves that honour they carry and it is extremely moving. It warms us to see the togetherness and love unravelling in every bit of this journey, where family extends beyond blood bonds and encapsulates the closest of friends they chose together in this boat.
Beneath that dazzling display of rose gold splendour and a garden of blushing blooms, it was a day we celebrated the lives of two people who rededicated it to the very ones who taught them what life is from the beginning of time.
“It’s knowing where your roots are
that sometimes gives you wings
it’s knowing there’s always a place to go
To escape the awful things
It’s comfort and it’s heartache
It’s pride and disappointment too
It’s holding on and letting go
Cherishing old and accepting new
It’s remembering and forgetting
Loving and arguing too
It was God’s plan from the start
And it’s still holding true”
To Vanilla. A fortress. A lighthouse in the depths of the sea that illuminates and anchors through torrents and storms, that victorious high point of watching the golden sun together. A never ending circle of strength and love. A gift and a safe haven to always fall back to.
A place called home.