Showing posts with label emotional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label emotional. Show all posts

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Menangis dan Belajar Ikhlas


picture from here

Halo saudara sebangsa dan setanah air..

Tadi malam saya sempat sangat sedih.
Semua terjadi begitu cepat dan sekejab. Saya yang sama sekali tidak mengharap apa-apa, tiba-tiba diberi kesempatan untuk berharap terlalu tinggi. Tinggi sekali. Saya sempat sangat yakin sekali, walau ada grogi. Saya 'mungkin' juga terlampau percaya diri, dan mendahului kehendak-Nya. Saya merasa terbang tinggi ke awan dan melayang-layang. Karena salah satu impian saya, what i wanted really really badly, is in front of my eyes. Di lain sisi, ada hal yang harus saya korbankan. Dan ada kernyit bahagia di hati bahwa ada justifikasi untuk menunda suatu keharusan yang harus segera diselesaikan itu. Hahaha.. Yang, jelas semua terjadi begitu cepat.

Tiba di hari H. Ada kesalahan kecil fatal yang saya perbuat. Soal penulisan dan kejujuran. Di situ saya belajar, bahwa "Honesty is the best policy, and being thorough is a must". Di sesi interview, saya dihadapkan pada tiga orang pewawancara. Nampaknya saya harus lebih berusaha meyakinkan diri jika dihadapkan pada sesi wawancara semacam ini. Beberapa pengalaman terdahulu merupakan pelajaran berharga agar saya lebih mengeal diri sendiri. Kemarin berbeda, dua di antara pewawancaranya saya kenal baik. Tapi saya justru merasa tidak nyaman dengan itu. Haha. Entah mengapa, saya sendiri tidak memahami. Mungkin karena ketika kita sudah kenal, ada beberapa objektifitas yang tereduksi. Entah menguntungkan atau merugikan, yang jelas saya merasa tidak nyaman. Hehe..

Dalam masa penantian, dan sebelum keputusan diketuk palu, feeling saya sangat hambar. Artinya, saya tidak berharap banyak. Dan pun ketika kenyataan terasa pahit, saya masih merasa hambar. Saya sudah legowo sejak sebelumnya bahkan. Tapi ketika diberikan penjelasan mengenai kronologis dan alasan, saya justru sedikit mengernyitkan dahi, "is it fair?". Well, then I guess, banyak pertimbangan, dan mereka mempunyai otoritas untuk memilih dan mempertimbangkan. Justru yang pahit adalah di balik penjelasan itu. Kalauupun benar, seharusnya saya tidak usah tahu saja. Siapa tahu itu hanya 'penjelasan manis' untuk menenangkan dan menghilangkan 'rasa kecewa' dan 'malu' saya. Hanya Allah yang Maha Tahu bagaimana keputusan di buat. Dalam hati saya berdialektika dengan topik
"mengapa Anda layak untuk benar-benar diperjuangkan" Dan kesimpulan saya, ketika Anda memang tidak layak, pertimbangan lain-lain itu hanyalah faktor sekunder.

Akhirnya pelukan sang Ibu itu begitu menenangkan. Saya pun berusaha ikhlas, walaupun masih ada sedih dalam hati. Saya ingin segera pulang dan menceritakan semua kepada keluarga saya. Seperti biasa mereka menangkan. Saya ke kamar dan kemudian lahirlah entry blog saya sebelum ini. Entah, saya merasa harusnya saya bisa menangis di dalam kamar. Tetapi tetap saja belum bisa. Saya pun memaksa diri untuk menangis. Haha. Dan saya bangga air mata itu bisa keluar. Mengapa harus berusaha dan bangga? Karena saya tergolong anak yang jarang menangis. Entah, mungkin bisa disebabkan oleh beberapa hal: mungkin kurang sensitif, kurang sentimentil, hati kelu, atau positifnya, saya memang kuat, tidak cengeng, dan memang tidak perlu. Yang jelas, saya pernah berdoa supaya Allah memberikah hati yang lebih sensitif dan 'sensible'. Tapi dalam beberapa kejadian, tangisan saya selalu terlambat, memang. Dan akhirnya, saya senang bisa menangis malam itu. Lega.

Sayapun memejamkan mata. Hari pun berganti. Pagi ini saya bertemu teman-teman seangkatan untuk berfoto bersama. OMG, it's been four years. Can I record what I have done during the past years? Kemudian saya berfikir dan mulai menyadari, kuncinya adalah tahu tujuan hidup dan ikhlas. Dua hal itu lah yang penting.
Karena ketika kita tahu apa tujuan akhir hidup kita, dan ikhlas dalam menjalaninya, pasti tak ada sedikit pun yang bakal kita sesali. Tak ada pekerjaan dan perbuatan kita yang sia-sia, kecuali kita sendiri yang membuatnya sia-sia. Kesedihan dan perasaan apa pun sifatnya hanya sementara. Saya pun menguat kembali, mengikhlaskan semuanya lagi. Dan mengingat kembali tentang apa tujuan akhir hidup saya. And at the end, I realize that I should have faith in God. Because He is indeed the Best Life Director!

Saya beriman, oleh karenanya saya kuat! Belajar ilmu ikhlas memang tidak mudah.

Salam ikhlas, dan tetap semangat!

Kiki Fauzia


Thursday, June 10, 2010

"She is Empowering Mother"

my American host mother and lucy, her lovely dog in the porch
image from here

Flashback five years ago. I swung in happiness after received a call from my thousand miles away-American host mom. It was on the exact month of June. After few times emailing each other, she called me warmly regarding my arrival in the States. I remember it was Thursday, June 9th 2005 when I got such an unexpected yet surprising call. Then, we stayed in touch and kept sending information about my arrival preparation regularly. I was happy go lucky girl, esp. realizing that my other friends even didn't know their host-family yet.

August 2005. I flew away to the land of freedom, and was the last yet only Indonesian girl left in the orientation place, in Chevy Chase, Maryland. For the first time, I deeply felt the mixed-feeling of loneliness, excitement, worrisome, and hopefulness. For the next journey, I was guided by one young girl, named Alexis Clark, AFS volunteer. Also, not forget to mention, my Southeast Asian buddy, Saima from the Philippines. We are the only YES students hosted in the Garden States, New Jersey. (Btw, I just found my exchange student's blog. I cant help laughing while reading it. Please enjoy)

It took about three hours to get Princeton by Amtrak. The next orientation in Princeton was awesome, although I kept secretly my soft-yearning that yelling to my heart. I knew that all 13 AFS-ers had the same feeling. Hence, we didn't need a long time to start befriended and accepted the difference. After all, we would always be one AFS family. On the last day of orientation, my host family picked me up. My host mom and host sister impressed me a lot. There are there, for picking me up. They are them who had been waiting for me since early June. I hugged them tightly and my thank can never be enough. I remember my mom who was in a blue summer blouse cried when seeing me. I was speechless, but couldn't cry in return.

We had a little conversation in the car a long way from Princeton to Ridgewood. I felt a sleep almost a half way home. They understood that I was in jet lag, and let me take a nap in the car. When I reached home I continued my nap and had my first meal at home with burger filled by turkey meat. It was good, but the size was too big for a tiny girl like me. My host mom really loved to cook and I always loved to eat. Her food was undoubtedly delicious and healthy. My favorite one is paella (Spanish rice dish). She also really care with the healthy food and nutrition. That's why she always encouraged me to eat salad.


299 West Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, New Jersey

My mom like to gardening. On the backyard of this beautiful yellow house, we have a small garden, planted by various kinds of flowers and vegetables. What I amazed from this country is the fertilized soil. I never thought about that. On the summer, we even can pick, cook, and/or eat vegetables from our garden.

I experienced and valued many things with my host mom, from happy to sad, from little to big, from silly to important, and too many to tell. We like to discuss and argue about what's going on this world, especially about current affairs. As ex-editor of New York Times, journalist and contributor of AP and VOA, I strongly impressed with her broad-minded thought and knowledgability (knowledgeable ability). Anyway, I made up that word. She also always underlined that she really hates George W. Bush. Not only dislike, but with the highest level of dislikeness, which is hate.

I felt forced and motivated in the same time, when she said that I have to be Indonesian President. She said it a lot, not just few times. I was just smile (bitterly. Hehe. because I know my capacity). I know what her point at that time by telling me so. She really believed in the importance of my exchange year program. She wanted to make a difference, and make a change. She was really involved in YES activities. YES (Youth Exchange and Studies), the program that send me to the States to value the living atmosphere and sharing with American people with the most basic principle of human being can ever be touched. I quoted her saying ".. the goal of YES Program is to produce a positively charged "ripple effect" on intercultural awareness, " she said.


news coverage about myself and my involvement in school theatrical group .

Few days ago, I received a sad news from my mom informed me that my mom died. Hold on. My previous sentences was literally wrong. That must be so scary if really happens. No, I mean I was so lucky to be blessed by two wonderful host-family in Ridgewood. I have two host family. Two wonderful host mother preferred me to call them with 'Mom'. So, I have two host Moms. One is what I described above. Another one is previously my AFS liaison and continued to be one of the most closed yet fantastic person who loves and treats me as her own kids. On the half of my AFS year I was encouraged to experience another type of American family, who lives just few blocks from the big yet beautiful yellow house above. I then moved with my super host family in 209 West Glen Ave, Ridgewood.

my mom in front of her house. i liked to help Tim (host dad) sweep this large yard.

My mom told me a grief story that my 1st mom passed away due to lungs cancer about few days ago. I was so shocked and saddened. My words couldn't express how sorry I was for this loss. My mom also suggested me to google the news, because the news was published a lot in the local, and even state media. Having had the experience to know my American mom personally was quite experience for me. And yeah, she had done many great things in life, and dedicated her whole-hearted spirit and aptitude to Ridgewood community. Thus, my sincere thoughts and prayers are truly with her. I hope she rest in peace, forever.

My mom is Ridgewood Councilwoman until at the time she passed away. On the same month and date, five years ago when I was introduced and said Hi to her. Today, I had to send my soft goodbye to her because her life-line already came to the dot. Here is the recent news from Northjersey.com which cover the story about the 'celebration of her life' that attended by hundreds of friends and family. I wanna cite what the site wrote :

"... After emotional speeches from her three children, Zusy’s husband, Al Ortiz, closed the ceremony, calling Zusy "an empowering mother." "When Annie recovered from breast cancer 16 years ago, she vowed not to waste another minute of another day," Ortiz said. "‘When it’s my time to go,’ she said back then, ‘I want people to have plenty to say and I want my children to hear it.’"

Reading that article made my heart beats faster and remained a sorrow deep down inside. I wish to be there and together with the beloved ones celebrated my mom's next stage of life. From the news, I also noticed that the prayers on the funeral was delivered in three religions, Islam, Jewish, and Christian. It was so unique of being her, and was really reflecting her.

The only thing I kept to remember her, beside experiences lied to my heart, is the 'testament' she wrote to me in the day I was leaving Ridgewood. It was so special when she also gave me seeds and sands from in front of her house to make me remember her and Ridgewood. Which I will do for sure. Here I also uploaded the special letter she wrote to me. You can click for zooming in.

To make an end of this post I wanted to share the verse I recite today from Surah Yaseen, Quran :

"Exaltation to Him whose Hand is the Kingdom of all thing, and to Him you will be returned" (36:83)

My condolence regards to my host mother who already return to Him. Like Dad said, she is empowering mother indeed. And yeah, many people have plenty to say about her, and your children hear it a lot. For sure.

Regards,

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Capek, deh!

Gosh. Damn. Shit. ( Astaghfirullaaah, sabaaar Kii)
Saya capek dan penat dengan 'benang ruwet' ini. Mekanisme yang 'mematikan' dan tidak efektif. Sistem (top-down) sangat mengungkung dan membatasi ruang gerak, bahkan membuat saya 'mati gaya'. Tapi apalah daya, saya tidak bisa berkutik. Yang mempunyai kekuasaan, yang berwenang memutuskan. "Tapi saya juga terlibat,"saya memrotes dalam hati. "Saya yang mengawal prosesnya. Saya juga yang menjalin hubungan baik dengan mereka. Jadi, saya lebih tahu detailnya. " Lebih lanjut hanya bisa menggaungkan ini dalam otak, hati, serta tulisan ini.

Kalau begini terus, saya agak pesimis dengan ambisi besar yang selalu digembar-gemborkan. Toh, apalah gunanya gembar-gembor, kalau kita tidak menyadari kesalahan dalam diri kita. Kadang, saya merasa ingin merombak sistem yang ada. Bersama yang lain, saya mencoba menyuarakan ini. Tapi saya belum mempunyai cukup kekuatan untuk merenovasi benteng sistem yang ada. Benteng ini terlalu besar untuk dirombak. Celakanya, saya juga menjadi elemen penyokong ('cakar ayam') struktur benteng ini. Terlalu riskan untuk dirobak, namun tidak cukup kuat untuk menghempas tsunami kompetisi kancah 'interlokal'.

Saya tidak mau mencolek hidung tertuduh. Namun, dalam hati, saya menyalahkan satu primus interpares ini. Saya ingin semua ditangani secara cepat, tepat, serius, efektif, teliti, dan memuaskan. Saya mendambakkan kinerja yang profesional, integratif, sinergis, dan kontributif. Seperti yang selalu di-hymne-kan. Tapi, entah mengapa saya melihat prospeknya masih buram, dan berjalan agak tersendat. Indonesia masih belajar bertatih. Padahal negara-negara lain sudah berlari kencang.

Saya kebetulan kemarin bertandang ke kandang Gajah Putih. Di atas kita, tidak jauh. Saya pun melihat, mengalami, kemudian membandingkan. Dan dengan berat hati, saya harus mengakui bahwa kita masih ketinggalan. Jangan pernah meremehkan, teman kita di atas itu. Mereka terlihat profesional, tertata dan 'rapi' dalam bermain. Yang paling saya salut adalah mereka selalu gesit dan memberikan service optimal.

Hari ini pun saya sudah mengerahkan segala daya upaya. Tanggung jawab terhadap amanat yang saya emban sudah saya usahakan berulang kali. Saya sangat menyayangkan dengan sungguh kepalang. Sudah seringkali. Kecewa dan emosi. Dua sifat yang tidak saya sukai-menguasai cuaca hati siang sampai sore ini. Yang membuat saya kecewa sekaligus emosi, adalah hal ini berkaitan dengan kesempatan-yang sangat didamba dan dicari-cari banyak jiwa, apalagi ada tawaran yang menggiurkan. Kedua, citra kinerja institusi akan dipertanyakan lagi.

Untung, panggilan Tuhan menggertak nurani terdalam. Yang paling saya syukuri, Tuhan selalu terbuka untuk mereka yang mendekat dan memerlukan pelukan eratnya. Saya ingin damai dipeluk erat-Nya malam ini. Dahsyat, percikan air kran terasa begitu menyegarkan. Saya kemudian menghadap untuk laporan. Barisan rapat jamaah malam ini begitu menguatkan. Bahwa saya tidak sendiri. Bahwa masih banyak yang harus saya syukuri. Dan sudahlah, jangan ada keluh di hati. Semua harus dihadapi dengan besar hati.

Salam capek (hati) hari ini, _Kf_

** Tulisan di atas sebagian besar dikuasai oleh emosi.

Friday, February 12, 2010

when my heart being so emotional


It's getting so emotional..
I just can't help to blow it up on this blog.
It's burning inside, there a tears almost drop in her eyes, but she could handle it.
When she put a hope so high in the sky,
hoping that they are more friendly and contribute things
just for appreciation, in the name of fairness, quality, and equity
but hope remains disapointment

In her eyes, she knew that those who eloquently speaking is
fake
They manipulate for their own interest in the sake of goodness
how come they laughed all the time applaused for their artful

Meanwhile, those who really need support,
drawning hurtly
Those who dedicated their heart to be a part of their support
has accepted suffers from the new mechanism
world is indeed unfair,
I never realized it until I met her, today!
a small experience taught lot about this absurd fairnes

Somehow she told me this is manipulative world, full of manipulative beings.
Full of sly people who sell the tricky mouth to get things.
She also showed me not to easily trust people from their appearance.
Although they are really
convincing!

Yeah, we indeed need to be cautious!!