I - “Letter to Myself”, by Baey Lian Peck, written on 27 May 1957

Summary

Letter to myself

41-24, Lengkong Satu,

Off Jalan Kembangan,

Singapore 14

27th May 1957

Dear Baey,

When you open this letter, you will be nearly 46 years old, and married for 21 years. If God permits, you will have children of your own, and soon hope to be a grandfather, as your dear wife Daisy, is now pregnant and will be having a baby in the middle of the next month.

The reason for this letter to yourself is that you are almost certain that you will succeed in business, and that the Company, Baey Kim Swee & Co Ltd, will be ever bigger and prosperous, not only in this line, but in all the field of commerce, and that you might be swell-headed (like your father) and put all the glory to yourself, instead of to the other people who helped you to succeed.

Should you succeed, and be much more wealthier than your father, you promised that you will be generous and helpful not only to your relations but to the people, whom you made your money from. You would not make the mistakes your father made, by taking all the credits and blaming the bad and unsuccessful on other people.

By now, some of your children would be in school, and you promised to give them a good education, girl or boy alike, so that they will be able to [fend] for themselves in later years. Although you wish them to follow your footstep in business, you must not force them, if they wish to take up any other type of professions.

You promised not to have second wife, because of your unhappy childhood days due to the two stepmothers, and your own mother being kicked out by your father.

You know that it is impossible to be entirely faithful to Daisy, but you promised to yourself that should you ever feel tempted by woman, you will pay them with money (or other ways) for the enjoyment. But you will never marry a second wife, so that your children will not suffer as you have suffered.