Beautiful Is She.

Thank You
For sending her into my life.

Aunt Zoe is a glimpse of You -
Who gave me
Faith, hope and love.

She was the woman
Who taught me the 'prim and proper' behaviours -

''Say, 'Please.'''

''Say, 'Thank you.'''

''Always greet people by their name.''

''Reply text messages ASAP to acknowledge you've gotten the sender's message.''

She taught me how I should carry myself -

''Stomach in, chest out!''
(I get really embarrassed when passers-by hear this!)

''Please eat, so you can grow taller.''

She helped me know who's Jesus
And how great God is.

I remember, during my childhood,
Me lying down on the bed
With Aunt Zoe reading me Bible stories
While she draws on my back with a finger
[a weird childhood fetish that I believed could help me sleep better]

I remember the two of us,
Kneeling on the bed
And taking turns to pray.

She taught me to
Respect education.

I have very significant memories of Aunt Zoe
Instilling the value of education since childhood.

When I was three,
Aunt Zoe taught me how to count.
She always used ice cream to motivate me to
Complete writing numbers in an exercise book.
Anyone remember Wall's Venetia ice cream?
It's a piece of heaven!

When I was four,
Aunt Zoe took me on my first MRT-train ride.
We went to Times bookshop where she bought me
My favourite childhood book,
Rapunzel.
[I remember how I read that book aloud in the bookstore, this kid stared at me but I didn't care and read to the last page.]

When I was five,
Aunt Zoe made me master multiplication.
With every perfect recital,
I'll earn ice cream!

When I was six,
Aunt Zoe helped me breakthrough
An all-year 0% for spelling.
It was a gruelling night.
I remember how hot tears dripped onto my exercise book
As Aunt Zoe sat beside me with a cane.
Next day,
I came home with a perfect 100%,
And I topped my class in almost every spelling test I've ever had.

''Which university do you want to go?
Study all you want, I will pay for it.''

And as I get older,
Aunt Zoe starts to say...

''Do you like any guy?
Give him hints. Don't be too cool.''
[mm hmm....]

Well,
She's one hottie in all her school years.
Her ex-boyfriends from her youth hail from
Hong Kong, London, Indonesia, Singapore -
Today,
Great men respect and admire her.

Charm has gone with her youth,
But she has been aging like wine -
Wise, humble, generous, intelligent, faithful,
Beautiful is she.

Mum baked it for Aunt Zoe.
It's the fluffiest chocolate chiffon cake I've ever had!

Yes, I speak Mandarin at home.

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