Aunty Jo Jo with Kiersten and Katelynn during Christmas 2012
As fireworks pounded the skies at midnight, I spent the first few minutes of the new year in prayer, thanking God for all the blessings that came my way in 2012.
- The first sight of Jerusalem in March on an unforgettable trip to Israel. My eyes have seen the wildflowers around the lake of Galilee, the valley of Elah where David defeated Goliath, the Western Wall where a temple once stood, the empty tomb at Gethsemane and the port of Caesarea where Paul set sail for Rome.
- A place where I can go to every day to make a difference. It's not often in one's career when one has the opportunity to shape the DNA of an organisation. That's precisely the challenge I accepted in February. To be part of a team that's overflowing with intellect and heart to transform a local postal provider into a regional ecommerce logistics provider. I can't remember a time when I've been so excited to go to work every morning with a head brimming with ideas, an expectation of meeting and working with new people, an energy to charge through my tasks knowing that their completion means that another piece of the jigsaw is in place.
- An afternoon on a yacht with girls whom I had the privilege of growing up with. We left school 25 years ago to build careers and families only to gather again one day last September to revel, not in our individual glorified achievements, but to find "delight in simple things" - hugs, laughter, memories, cupcakes and champagne. To celebrate the years of friendship.
- The final closure of the chapter of my life in KL with the sale and handover of all my properties. I am leaving behind the city where I was born and bred in order to "root myself in where I'm going and not where I came from, to be an honorary citizen of tomorrow. Because home is something I construct within, invisible and portable, a state of mind or part of my soul more than a piece of soil." (words in bold italics borrowed from Pico Iyer)
- Being able to sow into the future of others with financial rewards from work and investments. My parents' new church building in Bayan Baru, Penang and a children's library in Cambodia through the Room to Read foundation.
- And finally, the company of family and friends (both old and new) who have accompanied my journey in 2012, whether in person, online or in spirit. I am always encouraged by your kind words, thoughtful actions and generous gifts of time and companionship.
All my love,
Joanna
