Two offerings - of friendship and hope

Two offerings from me to you - of friendship and hope.

My first offering to you - FRIENDSHIP.

In my 'light bulb ' moments, I penned the words to the 'Sunshine Song'. I remember clearly Allan Burnham Airey and his wife Jane Shuttleworth came visiting one late evening. Sheepishly, I told him I had written something and showed him my piece of paper and if he could weave music with them. Being a composer, he went straight to the piano and plonked the ivory keys.

Hearing the music, made my heart miss a beat. It wasn't just words anymore! So, we had a song! One that we, the Sunshine ladies could sing and let the sun shine in every person's heart. That was August, 1997.

When I started this voluntary support group for the disabled, I felt the need to have an identity, a name first and foremost. Why? I believe if you have a name you own yourselves. Shawne Kaeser, my dear friend who's back in the States, gave us our name - The Sunshine Group. She reckoned, if you bring sunshine to others, you cannot keep it from yourselves. So, us group of ladies adopted it very happily.

Next came the logo. My brother-in law, Mustaffa designed it the way I liked it - simple and direct - the sun's rays radiating .

Last came the song. I enjoy singing even in the bathroom. Gosh, how my imagination takes flight and my bathroom becomes the concert hall with me the lone singer! But I digress.

I really felt a song embracing friendship in the warmth of the sunshine to brighten lives would just complete our identity as The Sunshine Group.

I would like to share this song with you. Join us in embracing the warmth and glow of friendship to brighten lives. Whatever organisation you join whoever you come across, whichever effort you support, there's the sunshine we all look for to shine in the lives of those we touch.

Sunshine Song

Touch a hand

Touch a heart

Feel the glow of warmth inside

Like a burst of sunshine

Colour my world

Like a song that soothes

Let's send it forth to one and all

Chorus:

Sunshine you warm my heart

Sunshine you make me happy

Sunshine you colour my day.

My second offering to you - HOPE.

The paper on which this song was written has yellowed. In fact, I've even forgotten I wrote it and sang it, only once with my friends and the school children of Sri Cempaka school, Damansara Campus. It's been a long time - 23 October, 1997.

Again, I penned some lines and a song appeared with Allan Burnham Airey bringing it to life again.

The words extol the flower, periwinkle which MAKNA has adopted as its logo. Somehow, I got into the act and wrote it to contribute to celebrate the planting of the periwinkle at Sekolah Sri Cempaka, Bukit Damansara campus in 1997. The president and founder of MAKNA, YBg. Datuk Farid Ariffin launched the ceremony.

Madagascar or 'Rosy' periwinkle is used pharmaceutically to treat childhood leukemia, Hodgkin's Disease, testicular cancer, and cancerous tumours. The periwinkle alkaloids are anti-mitotic and anti-microtubule agents. Vinca Major and Vinca Minor appear to have similar medicinal qualities.

We made stencils of periwinkle and everyone including the students, residents of Selangor Cheshire Home and the Sunshine ladies stamped on reams of paper donated by a printer to sell as part of our small fund -raising for the Home.

In the school, at the Home, in my house, we stamped sheet after sheet of paper as gift wrap. We had a swell time . We had fun and we believed in ourselves. Every stamp we made , it stamped HOPE . Yes, ' hope springs eternal in the human breast...' (quote by Alexander Pope). With cancer, which does not discriminate and that which strikes anytime, we wished all cancer victims the hope of a good recovery and the strength to endure testing times.

Periwinkle Hope

Periwinkle hope is in the air

Moving mountains, crossing the sea

To reach you and me

Periwinkle hope can set us free

from pain and anguish

Comforting hope, comforting hope.

Mother nature sends us this flower

Hope lies in its beauty

Hope lies in its serenity

Periwinkle bright

You are our hope and joy

Rejoice, rejoice!

Inspiration among greenery

It seems a revival of sorts to share these two songs but better late than never! After all, the themes of friendship and hope are universal and evergreen. We hear stories of every day heroes all over the world who give us reasons to cheer them on. In turn, we are inspired by them.

Perhaps you will pen a few words of your own. Mine are words that just came to mind to inspire me to do more.

MAKNA

BG 03A & 05 Ground Floor

Megan Embassy

225, Jalan Ampang

50450 Kuala Lumpur

tel: + 603 2162 9178

Hotline : 1-800-88-62562