I would
not be able to fully comprehend the pain which the families of both MH370 and
MH17 must be going through. We as a nation however grieve alongside and mourn
the deaths of the many people from various nationalities who died from the twin
tragedy. To hear the many stories of lost fathers and mothers, sons and
daughters and lovers brings an aching in the soul which words cannot express.
Perhaps
in trying to make meaning out of all this, the consolation is to believe that
in some way our friends did not die for no reason. Perhaps in the stars above
they speak to us of lessons to be learnt.
Someone once said that unless death is made a lesson for the living, the
life lived is wasted. Certainly the
manner and swiftness in which they left offer us some valuable lessons.
If nothing it puts life in its proper perspective.
It
reminds me to celebrate life. I wake up in the morning and I go to sleep at
night. Each day this cycle repeats itself but the tendency is to forget that
“innumerable are the ills which beset human life, and present death in many
different forms.” (Calvin) Life is fragile and we often take for granted that
the good Lord above has seen it fit for me to live and breathe another
day. Before I go to bed tonight, I shall
thank my God for watching over me and protecting me for yet another day.
I shall celebrate
the relationships around me. I am blessed with friends and family who fills my
life with joy and laughter. I have a
loving wife and three teenagers.
Tomorrow morning before I go out, I shall hug them a bit longer and
thank my God for the relationships which make this life ever so
meaningful.
I celebrate
living. It is good to be able to enjoy
the simple pleasures of life. Eating, drinking,
playing, working and studying. They are sweet and I am thankful.
Apart
from all the good things their tragic departure also trivializes all that we
make so much of. The stupidity of
fighting for a religion or the superiority of a race. The madness of being offended by a tweet or a
facebook posting. The arrogance and apathy we show to those less fortunate or
who are different from us. Surely we
take ourselves too seriously. In the end
of it all the twin tragedy reminds us that death awaits us all and is the great
leveler. There are no titles nor
honorifics in death.
I hope
those who constantly display racial animosity or who insists that they are
entitled because of their birthright will be still to consider the fragility
and brevity of life itself and in honor of those who have gone in this twin
tragedy to reconsider their position.
YOLO! Live it well
