When I was young, I used to look forward eagerly to each coming Chinese New Year. For with each new year, I got new things, such as clothes and shoes, and ang pows. I also looked forward to getting older so that I could go out to work and earn lots of money.

Of course, I did enjoy myself as a kid. I got to let off firecrackers. I was quite proud of myself for having the courage to hold a single firecracker between my thumb and index finger and then lighting the fuse. When the firecracker went off, my fingers smarted, but it was fun.

Kids nowadays don’t get such fun anymore! Yes! Chinese New Year isn’t quite the same anymore. In the 70’s, we kids had more fun then, what with firecrackers and the makeshift gaming stalls set up next to blocks of HDB flats.

But our ang pows then contained lesser money in them. Each typical ang pow contained S$1.10 then. Sometimes, my favourite aunt would give me a cool six dollars! Boy! I sure did look forward to visiting her place every Chinese New Year.

Nowadays, when Chinese New Year comes along, I have got used to a new habit - counting how many more Chinese New Years I have left before I depart from this good earth.

I don’t mean to spoil your new year mood when I say such things. Somehow, I have come to view each coming new year as one less available to me in the years ahead. I think this sort of thinking may be good in a way - it makes me think how precious life really is. It makes me wake up - albeit once a year for I will forget these thoughts till the next Chinese New Year comes around again - and get into the mood to want to make full use of every day that comes along.

Perhaps, all of us who are in our 40s or older should acquire this habit - making sure we live each day to the fullest. I am sure we don’t want to wait till the day some doctor pronounces to us that we are suffering from some incurable disease and have months to live before we decide to live life fully. That would indeed be too late!!

Have a happy Chinese New Year!