2019 started ordinary. Nothing exciting happened, but nothing particularly bad transpired either.
Then, 3 weeks later, there came a series of bad news.
First, my company's executive director's father passed away. He lived to a ripe old age, as she accurately described, but it did not mean his passing was still a better fact to accept.
Then, in two days, two cars collided on the Penang Bridge. The collision was so impactful that the car literally fell into the sea, trapping the driver in it. The status of the driver remained unaccounted for on the first day of search. The whole Penang was waiting anxiously, hoping to see him alive. The driver was found during the second day of the search, and as I sadly, and rather unfortunately, expected, the driver did not pull through. He died inside. He was only 20. His death shocked the whole Penang.
Then, on Monday, on the second day of the search, a NTU student committed suicide by jumping off from the campus. He was suffering from depression, and was also only 22.
Then, around the same time, news emerged that a Singaporean actor was critically wounded while reservist. I did not know him, but to know a 28-year-old life began to slip away was, again, not exactly a happy news to swallow. He died a few days later, succumbed to his injury.
All of them are bright, young people with brilliant futures. And all of them are around the same age as me.
And all these unfortunate news emerged around my birthdays. Not casting any festive mood to my already dull birthday.
It just reminded me that life is very fragile. We never know when it is the last time we meet each other. We won't know which goodbye we wish to our friends is literally the last farewell we would ever wish each other.
A life could end just like that. It really did not need planning. It just needs a bad luck.
I should really appreciate what I have now. Be more appreciative of what I possess, and be more appreciative of everyone around me.
I care for everyone I like. My friends, my colleagues, my families.
I really hope nothing like this would ever befall any one of us.
2019 is now shrouded with a sombre mood.
Let's just all try to appreciate the fact that we are alive, and we have people we care, and people who care for us, okay?
To my friends, families: I love all of you. If anything ever happens to me, please know that, with the utmost sincerity I could ever muster, I truly love all of you.
If I still keep in contact with all you, please do know you mean a lot in my life. Even if I don't mean as much to you.
2019. Please be a better year for all of us.