The most unforgettable chapter

I was watching an episode of Got To Dance UK and there was this 14 year old street dancer who auditioned and got voted off and was advised to attend more dance lessons. He went on to say that he was self taught and couldn't afford lessons as his mom was diagnosed with cancer.

One of the judge's heart softened and changed his star from red to yellow to encourage him and even went offstage to give him a hug.

The tears suddenly welled up in my eyes and I couldn't stop crying for a while.

It brought me back to the year 2007 when my mom was sick and I was going through so much in school judging content heavy subjects and preclinicals, outside of dentistry captaining the hockey team of Temasek hall, playing hockey for SRC and floorball for NUS and lastly squeezing time out to teach tuition. Not only did my mom need to visit the hospital regularly, we were also in the midst of moving house again.

It was so tough finding a delicate balance and making it through the mental and physical demands. Everyday was like skating on thin ice, each move had to be carefully calculated, each sacrifice had to be weighed against my other responsibilities.

I remember breaking down once on a Sunday night thinking about my week ahead - how many trainings I had to go for, which games I should go for or miss to study for tests, trainings I had to organize, logistics which I had to settle, the date of mom's operation clashing with my IHG finals.

I remember the fear of finding out my year 2 results which had just arrived in the mail, hoping and praying that I had passed all subjects and did not have to go for a viva voce or re-paper like in year1.

I still wonder if it was all just a nightmare.. Sitting in the vice Dean's office being 'counseled' and breaking down in tears. Those are events I'd never ever forget..

Thinking back, I wonder if I had done the right thing... Should I have given up some commitments to concentrate on what was more important?

I guess that was when I decided to give up playing hockey for SRC in year 3 after doing so badly in school the first 2 years. From then on I told myself that studies always come first. Especially when my dad had a near fatal incident and was warded in the midst of my year 3 exams. I finally realized what my priorities were.. That weekend I sat myself down and studied like I've never before for my internal medicine viva and ended up topping the class.

Little did I know that 2 years after all the drama, I would graduate seamlessly from dentistry and even become the valedictorian.. God must have been watching over me.

This would have to be the most unforgettable chapter of my life. What was yours?