IT IS DIFFICULT ONLY THE FIRST TIME

"IT IS DIFFICULT ONLY THE FIRST TIME" - That's the affirmation I usually apply whenever I attempt something new. This affirmation has a soothing effect. It frees you from excessive stress. It allows creativity. It encourages experiments. Should you fail, you know that the failure is because it is the first time you do it, hence it is difficult only the first time.

17th Dec 2010 was a special day for the family. It was the day, more specifically the night that my wife and I, and the family hosted a WEDDING RECEPTION. It was a wedding reception for our eldest son, RAFEQ who took NURUL AFRAH as his life-partner. And IT WAS THE FIRST TIME for us.

A concerned gentleman called me up a week before the wedding reception. He was a silent follower of my blog. Seeing no entry for more than a month, he called. I sensed his call was to "check" on my status, if you know what I mean. I appreciated his call. I told him I was just too focussed on preparing a wedding reception. Hence my silence.

We did not employ any wedding planner. We decided that we should be the best planner. Mistakes? Sure there were, but I can accept that. After all, "it is difficult the first time".

What was the biggest mistake? Well, I did not send a card to a very close friend. I chose to SMS him an invitation. He came for the wedding with his beautiful wife, all "dressed up to kill" (I assume). But he came one week earlier!! I gave him the wrong date.

So, Lesson # 1 - SEND the wedding invitation card.

As for the other mistakes, the family will do a post-mortem over dinner tomorrow night.

A few pantuns I gave during my speech.

To the newly wed on their new roles

Memberi menantu kepada ibu-bapa

Menjadi abang & kakak kepada adik-adik yang muda

Menjadi penyeri dalam rumah-tangga

Memberi cucu kepada saya

To my guests I said this

Lafaz akad hanya sekali

Cincin perkahwinan tersorong dijari

Kedatangan tuan-puan kami abadi

Jemputan masa depan, harap datang lagi

I have 3 more children to be married off before my wife and I can relieve ourselves of this parental responsibility. Now that the first one is over with, it is our hope that the first wedding will trigger an avalanche for the three to follow suit FAST.

Thank you all the friends and neighbors who had graced the occasion. One do not say thank-you to one's blood relations who contribute, both time and effort to make the occasion a success. They were part of the show!

And I end the speech with a reminder

Punya isteri mahu dakap sampai mati

Hilang semua gigi, hanya tinggal gusi

Sepanjang hayat kekali abadi

Hanya pemisah cangkul penggali

So Rafeq &  Anne, you are embarking on a new journey. It takes two to Tango, more so in Marriage. Make it permanent!