============================================================== To reach ALL SJD members, please send to sjd@satjadham.net ... Do NOT include any other addresses when sending to the list... Include as LITTLE of the original messages as possible........ Message sent by: LanXang Siengkhene *** Announcement: *** Please send your member fee to Victor if you haven't done so. ============================================================== Sabaydii, First, congratulation to Guy for being selected to be a member of the quarter. You really deserve it. Satjadham will be different without your contribution. Below is a little story of my two kids: Khouansiva and Ariya who make the most out of life. One moment in life... "Happy Birthday, daddy!" my two kids said at the same time once my face popped in the house. Caught by surprise, I didn’t know what to say but fixated my eyes on them with pride. I remember the very moment they were born: Khouansiva on the early afternoon of December 5th 1988, and Ariya on the late morning of November 19th 1993. Khouansiva, a girl, was quite an ugly duckling (that was what others said when they first saw her), and had to spend the early days in the incubator. We were quite afraid that her brain would be damaged as her body turned yellow and it was a matter of time before her brain was seriously damaged (that was the doctor said). Ariya, on the contrary, was quite a charming boy but hardly cried and slept most of the time. They were both so tiny that we had to take a tremendous care to raise them up. Fortunately, they are bright kids. Maybe, because they saw me bury my face among the pile of books almost all the time, they came to love reading. Ariya was called the great reader in class while Khouansiva (later turns out to be a pretty, slim and tall girl) could finish a thick book within a couple of days. Khouansiva, as a big sister, could even write a coherent essay and was continuously on a principal honor roll since the 3rd grade. Sometimes, I wonder what makes them strive so hard and excel so well in school? I, myself, would love to claim a credit for their hard work and achievement but I couldn’t. The most I did for them was to provide the environment of learning for them. That was precisely all I did and I felt bad about it for I could do more. If you ask me who should get the credit, I would say that it is my wife. I think her life story would convince you about her devotion to our kids. As I learn, my wife had a hard childhood. Her dad was sent to the seminar camp followed by her mom shortly (while her mom was still with her but couldn’t feed all of the kids, she had to stay with the distant relatives so that they could feed her. At one time, they locked her out by herself for fear that she might steal their stuffs. Being a young girl outside the house scared her to death). With no parents, she had to stay with her grandparents. As they had to feed their kids too, adding her with her brother and sisters to the family made things worse. There wasn’t enough food to eat, not to mention new clothes to wear. Knowing the hardship made her determine that her kids wouldn’t suffer the same fate, and the only way to go about it was to instill diligence and the love of education. I guess one of the reasons she married me was because of my love of learning. "You two are good kids" I said to them. What else could I say? Being a quiet person, I didn’t talk much but, that was enough for them to smile for the rest of the day. Reviewing about my kids’ character (honest, diligent, fair and caring)and achievement, I would say that they make the most out of life. Sometimes, I wonder what makes them grow so fast. Ariya, being a conscientious person always takes care of his homework as soon as he got it. If it is for any given day, he will make sure that he does it before doing anything else. By the way, both of my kids go to KUMON (a reading/math center) which gives homework assignment for them to do every single day (they go to KUMON twice a week). Khouansiva, being a music fan and an internet addict still makes sure that her homework is well done (not to mention that she also attends an afternoon school for the gifted student). I guess their competitive nature always push them to exert the most out of themselves. Though in 5th grade, Khouansiva already inquired about the best college (she scores in the 99th percentile rank for most of the subjects in the Stanford test). Ariya, a first grade _ not to be outdone by his big sister, is enthusiastically doing the addition with two digits and reads at least one book before going to bed each night. Thinking of their devotion to educational excellence and still having time to remember my birthday, I am at awe. Now, it should be my turn to ensure that they have the best education this country offers, "Thank you, honeys!" I said to them, "that’s the best present I could ever wish for." Hakphaang, Kongkeo Saycocie __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com _ ***************************************************************** Visit SatJaDham Homepage at: http://www.satjadham.org (or .net) *****************************************************************