More than 80 Tzu Chi volunteers kept up with tradition, celebrating the mid-autumn festival with about 50 residents of SIRLA Homes on Sep 13, the eve of the mid-autumn day. Picture:Tzu Chi volunteers accompanied the residents of SIRLA strolling around the neighbourhood, enjoying the breeze and songs sung by the volunteers.

Tzu Chi volunteers putting in a lot of effort setting up the place and the various programs to bring a wonderful Mid-Autumn festival to the SILRA residents.

The elderly participating in the games and skits enthusiastically.

The games stalls not only provided some exercises for the residents but also a lot of big smiles.

Mr. Lim, one of the residents, sharing his experience of the car accident he met 5 months ago.  Throughout the whole period, volunteers have provided care and concern for him.

NTU Tzu Chi Collegiate volunteers presenting a song accompanied by sign language to show their love towards to residents.

The star may be the most beautiful thing in the sky; care and concern towards each other is perhaps the most beautiful thing on earth.

“I think while the most beautiful thing in the sky tonight is the moon, the most beautiful thing on earth tonight is none other than the smile on every Ah Ma and Ah Gong (Chinese dialect for grandma and grandpa),” said the master of ceremony who was dressed as a rabbit for that occasion.  

The annual Mid-Autumn Celebration with SIRLA Homes was held on Sep 13, the eve of the festival.   SILRA (Singapore Leprosy Relief Association) Home is home for ex-leprosy victims, providing the residents with a home with basic care and love. That night, 50 SILRA residents were invited and together with more than 80 Tzu Chi volunteers, they celebrated the mid-autumn festival just like a big family, as it has been celebrated for years.

Everyone including the elderly and Tzu Chi volunteers looked forward for the arrival of the day.  The entertainment programs were plenteous; there were harmonica solo, song and dance, sign language song performance, games and skits.  Most importantly, every entertainment program carried a valuable message.

Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association presented a skit on the Mid-Autumn festival in a 100 years time.  It was a festival with shortage of food, and without mooncake.  While everyone forgot how it tasted, they had an unexpected small mooncake.  This meagre mooncake made them realize happiness was through sharing.  It is indeed something we should remind ourselves all the time.

Everyone enjoyed the performances, whether it was sign language or games, the elderly participated enthusiastically.  One elderly even performed a solo on his harmonica.

Tzu Chi volunteers decorated the courtyard to make it resemble a temple fair.  In there, there were stalls with variety of food such as mooncakes, pomelos, dumplings, fried noodles, and vegetarian buns and of course, there were game stalls. These stalls brought back good old memories for the residents.

Though the surrounding air was getting cooler, everyone was feeling warm inside. Warmth spreads like flames in lanterns. While the volunteers brought the residents out for a stroll, they got to know each other better and enjoyed each others’ company.  Everyone was having a great time and sang together, just like one big family.

One of the residents, Mr. Lim Da Qing, shared his experience of the past 5 months after he was involved in a car accident.  Mr. Lim was very touched and was grateful for the continued encouragement and support provided by the Tzu Chi volunteers.  Mr. Lim showed us that when facing adversity, he took it in his stride; volunteer learned a valuable lesson from him indeed.

Master Cheng Yen’s teachings spread gradually to everyone through the care and concern towards the residents.  When the “Prayer” song was sung, some residents held their hands with closed palms to their chests, some held their palms tight, regardless of how one did it, everyone was sincerely praying for the purification of their soul, a cohesive society and a world void of calamity.

NTU Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association presented a sign language performance on “the Moon represents my Heart”.  It signified the feelings of Tzu Chi volunteers towards the residents.  Meanwhile, the residents felt deep gratitude towards the volunteers as shown in “One Big Family” sign language performance with deep bows towards the volunteers.

There and then, there was the most beautiful thing on earth, the smile with teary eyes on Ah Gong and Ah Ma.