Ever wondered if you relationship with your partner would be anything like your parents' when you get older?

A question I asked myself when I was in the shower tonight. I didn't really think much about it since my last telephone conversation (1 hour 15 minutes) with Adrinna on Wednesday - we always catch up when either one of us goes back to KL.

You tend to look at your family in a different way when you live abroad and only see them occasionally.

Anyway, the question - just suddenly tap me on the shoulder while I was reading Tess Gerritsen's latest bestseller - The Mephisto Club (she's my favourite author). One of the lead character's parents were having a fight during Christmas dinner and the mum said something about not wanting to make her children choose and do not want to say a bad word about their father before she stormed off.

It made me think deeper and looked at my mum and dad's relationship. You never think about things like that when you were growing up at home. Looking back, my mum is the foundation of the family (it's hidden from view but she has been carrying the weight). She did not say a bad word about or to my dad in front of us when we were growing up, he was the head of the family after all and we respect and fear him.

Things changed as we got older (only when we were all married and with family), my mum poured out her sorrows. We know the truth and she stayed on because of us. It's a love-hate relationship and as their daughter, I cannot judge them nor can I advocate anything. But it made me think if Jem and I would be like them in say 30 years time?

As much as I admire and love my mum, I do not want to grow old like her - relationship wise but I want to be a great mum like her. Many women may think that she is the dumbest woman in the whole wide world - she doesn't keep a penny for herself (everything she has, she gave it to the family) seriously, she doesn't have anything for herself. But, she will always have her five children, their partners and her eight grandchildren loving her every minute.

I want to see myself grow old and still very much in love with Jem. I want to feel every minute like I feel now - thinking of him, missing him and laughing at his jokes. We always joked that when we are in our eighties, we will still be chasing each other around the house - instead of minutes, it turned into days. In order to do that, we keep ourselves in check - there is always two sides to a story and no one is completely right.

Never go to bed angry - always make up before you turn your table lamp off. You may not know what lies ahead and your hurtful words to each other could be the last you'll remember for the rest of your lives.