Acceptance

It has been ages since I've met my sons working/studying in Selangor. When the restrictions were lifted earlier, we did ask our sons whether they will come back home to visit us. Our third son who is in IIUM, said that he could not as no student is allowed to leave the campus at the time. The eldest and second eldest did come back and had took necessary precautions on coming back. The eldest Khair had took a swab test since he was working in a hot red zone but the result is negative. He arrived home last night, looking pretty exhausted as some of his workmates have left the company and he had took up some of their duties, making it difficult to take leave. As long as he is happy and  don't get too much overworked, it's ok. It is now difficult to find jobs these days. My second eldest, Ihsan came back home earlier on Thursday. He was happy to be able to pray Friday prayers yesterday at our local surau since in Selangor, there were severe restrictions on conducting Friday prayers. (Note: the Friday prayers conducted here follow all the standard preventive measures namely, scanning the MySejahtera QR code, checking temperature, social distancing during the congregation and masks on all the time even during prayers). Just early this morning, he has gone back to work for his weekend shifts. Later in the month, he will return home again since he has tendered his resignation for him to do his postgraduate studies in UPM.

Nothing makes me happier than being able to see the family together again. I guess I am now feeling how our parents felt when they were alive, always hoping to see their sons and daughters. Once my colleague who were at the institute (now in a private university) told me that the university will not really miss us when we go since we can be replaced but our families are the ones who will really miss us when we are not around. At this late stage, I rather wished that I had spent more time with the family. The family will always accept who we are.

In many ways, I have always struggled to be accepted whether at the institute or the department. Like Penrose said, to the mathematicians, we are physicists and to the physicists, we are mathematicians. Perhaps this recognise the fact that we are indeed interdisciplinary (despite what other people think). I do take note sometimes how our contributions are treated or accepted by others. But it doesn't really matter, because sometimes what we do goes beyond the interest of whatever (smaller) organization we are affiliated with.

Whatever it is, I will continue to contribute my expertise wherever I can, appreciated or not. Hopefully it meant something for the nation, and more importantly I can bring these as good deeds to the hereafter.