The Cooling Stream

I was browsing the net reading stories and happenings when I found out this one. It touched me to the core and I wanted to share it with you. I penned it down here in the way I knew best. You might not find it interesting or special, but it was a true story of the power of love.

Love is never ordinary when it is true and real. Love can be powerful when there are deep affection and strong commitment. And Love knows no boundaries.

It was love that took away a Melanau girl on the coast of Sarawak to marry a Penan man in the interior of Sarawak. They met at a timber camp. She was the cook and he was a logger. It was a rare union but she embraced the life of a Penan ever since, all in the name of love.

For many people in Malaysia, the Penan's way of life is nothing to be envy or jealous about. They live in the jungle and are basically hunters and gatherers. Basic necessities like electricity, treated water, school and hospital are mere words and meant nothing to them.

It was difficult at first for the lady to adjust to her husband’s way of life when they got married 20 years ago. Life at a Penan settlement was not exactly a honeymoon. But there were those little similarities between their cultures that kept them together. The staple diet for the Penan and the Melanau is sago. The only difference is that the Penan harvests wild sago while the Melanau harvests planted sago. Besides, they also have the presence of their five children to make their bond stronger, the eldest is already 17 and the youngest 6 years old.

The start of construction of the Bakun Dam brought about changes for the family. She and her family were relocated to the 20-door Penan longhouse where her husband is now headman. She looked thinner and somewhat stressed when she first moved. But she appeared settled now and had put on weight.

Her home today is world apart from what she had before. She has a settee set, a television and even a desktop computer. Life is better for them here, but the cost of living is too high. Things are becoming more expensive and they are beginning to find it difficult to make ends meet at times.

It has always surprised me to read stories and happenings about the power of love. Love can really bring together two people living worlds apart and it can change the way we live and think and act.

Love is a total sacrifice for our loved ones, and it goes beyond reasons and explanations. Some think it’s crazy or ridiculous or stupid. Some say it is desirable, honorable and beautiful. I don’t know. Love always makes and keeps me puzzled.

Love is not just an abstract feeling. It has to do with commitment, sacrifice, and knowing the other better. There are always common grounds to start with, and some consensus over certain fundamental principles. We must learn to be reasonable and considerate, and don’t push our way.

Love is practical; it is to make life better and easier for our spouse and children. We must not neglect the basic necessities and forget our children’s education. There will be time when we need to go back to the city or get close to it. Life will be tough and rough, and it will be another different kind of sacrifice.

Oh! The power of love.