tribute to a friend

how far do u measure yourself? this is a question we shouldnt be asking ourselves too often. ive realised nowadays ppl are too materialistic, too impatient, too kiasu and all these can lead to major self-destruction if we were not able to achieve what we wanted. i dont compare myself with others coz i know there are millions of less fortunate ppl out there. i dont earn a 5-figure salary and i dont even have a steady income. whatever i get is all commission-based. sometimes i have a penchant for things i couldnt afford but what guarantee do i have that it will make me feel better if i ever get it? some of my ex-schoolmates are successful in their own way but so what? does it mean that i'm less of a human? i dont think so. some may have to work hard to get where they are rite now but some are juz plain lucky to be able to inherit a sum of money from their parents. but are they happy with what they have? i dont think so coz these ppl will compare themselves with others who are more fortunate than them and they might feel depressed for not being able to get more!
i 'm more than happy with what i have rite now. a husband who loves me despite my lack of cooking skills or none at all, a mother whom until now cooks for me, a fierce father who has been soften down by the existence of the only grandchild, a successful and ever-serious younger sister, a younger brother whom we thot will never ever be where he is rite now. and not forgotten, my lovely 'cant-live-without' daughter. sometimes i feel sad for not being able to give my parents loads of money when i know i should. how can we repay for what they have done for us? we cant even name the figure coz it's priceless. and i dont think they want our money. all they want is for us not to forget and abandon them when they get older. they may be demanding at times but do u hafta compain? they didnt complain when u wanted sthing from them.
we have been living in this comparing culture for years and it will never stop. we have to keep reminding ourselves that money cant buy happiness. my mum was really sick for 6 whole months last year and i'm sure a million ringgit in her bank account will never make her happy. that's what she told me. and for those who actually watched her sick and not being able to lessen the pain, felt even worse. it was a period where God was testing all of us. mental anguish, emotional torture, u name it. but now she has fully recovered and all of us have learned something from those depressing episodes.....and i'm juz glad that she's still here with us...