My Two Reasons to Live [from the dysfunctional family series]

Despite all my seemingly whole-hearted efforts to save the planet, giving the impression that I am saving all of you… uhm… I must confess that I actually hadn’t always cared that much about humans. Yes you! I didn’t care about you, human beings. I hated all humans. I hated all humans, until I was given the honor to experience a human growing inside me, TWICE! I hated all humans, until I got pregnant, twice. I hated all humans, until God gave me two little humans to take care of. With no instructions, no blueprint, no manuals, no guarantee. I hated all humans until I had to improvise to raise two human beings trusted in my care.

But ever since then, for me, these are the only two people on the planet worth living for, worth fighting for and worth dedicating this planet for. These are the two people that had managed to prevent me from committing suicide when my husband died (he used to be my reason to live). These are the two people who scream and shout at each other over the most unessential things, but at the same time, laugh together because of it. These are the two people who have glued this family together and kept me sane (most of the time).

These are my two reasons to live…

The first one was born in the middle of a snowstorm in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A., 19 years ago. It had been snowing three days in a row, non-stop. But snow somehow has been given a “role” by Mother Earth as a phenomenon of nature that has the power of speech or music. It has the ability to give a heart an immediate change of mood. And so while everything was melodiously white, Cassandra was born. Cassandra Niki Sucahyo.

The second one was born down-under, in the land of the long white cloud, Aotearoa. You may know it as New Zealand. 15 years ago, in a tiny village of Timaru in the South Island of New Zealand, spring had just begun. The season of hope. And in this season of hope, the season that marks the beginning of new lives, new hopes and new dreams, a new human life was also beginning. We named her Sky. Sky Dwi-Drupadi Sucahyo.

To them, I owe this life. Because as I spend all these years improvising and trying my best to teach them all about life, as it turns out… most of time… it is THEM teaching me what life is all about…

So here they are… presenting… my two reasons to live… Cassey & Sky…



[Uhm… well… they haven’t quite turned out as sophisticated and lady-like as I had planned… but hey… they’re not perfect!!! Hahaha… I know you hate me for posting this video, girls… But I think we might as well admit that we’re a dysfunctional family, right? Luv ya!]