The road that reminded me what really matters (26 aug 25)

The Road That Reminded Me What Really Matters

Last Friday, I found myself on an open highway with my family—everyone having carved time out of packed schedules to simply be together for a few days.

As I watched the endless sky stretch above us and the lush Malaysian landscape roll by, something shifted inside me.

Here we were, usually scattered across different routines, deadlines, and digital distractions, now sharing the same car, the same view, the same unhurried moments. No urgent emails. No back-to-back meetings. Just us, the open road, and simple conversations that meandered like the highway itself.

Then our car started having gear-changing issues. What could have been a holiday disaster—or worse, left us stranded on an unfamiliar road—became something unexpectedly beautiful.

My brother had texted us about meeting for coffee, not knowing our situation. When we met up and shared our predicament over coffee, he immediately stepped in. He arranged for a car garage that prioritized fixing our car first, knowing we had to drive further for our holiday.What followed turned a stressful situation into precious moments we hadn't shared in almost a year. Breakfast together. Good coffee. Amazing fishballs. A mini tour of his area, his new office, his accommodation. Simple pleasures made extraordinary by presence and love.

The vastness of that sky made me realize how small our daily worries actually are, and how enormous the love that shows up when we need it really is.

Here's what the road taught me about presence:

We spend so much time managing our separate worlds that we forget the magic of shared space. Not just physical space, but emotional spaciousness—room to laugh at nothing important, to point out interesting clouds, to simply exist together without agenda.

The most profound moments weren't at our destination. They were in the in-between—the spontaneous stops for local coffee, the playlist debates, the comfortable silences filled with green hills and open sky.

Simple reflection for this week:

When did you last create unhurried space with the people who matter most? Not scheduled quality time, but spacious time where anything could happen and nothing

🌷 from Linda's desk @ Tulip Meadows 🌷