Hello
to this space!
It’s
been a while; first post of 2015 in fact! I wanted very much to do a reflection
for 2014 kind of post but I ended up being lazy about it. What’s new?
But
it’s quite true; that I think 2014 and perhaps 2013 have been very tough years
and a time where I had to break out of my zone. I wouldn’t dare say I’ve
changed or matured, I still feel very
much a child even at this age. The realities of adulthood are slowly closing
in, more so from my friends’ experiences than my own; but we all know it’s only
a matter of time before we all have to enter the ocean and learn to swim, or
wait to drown.
Early
this morning a great pioneer and leader of our country left the world. It came
not so much as a shock, because the nation - and the world - has seen him
deteriorating slowly for a few years now. At last year’s NDP, the scene of the
frail, wrinkled man still well enough to be present at the national celebration
wrung the hearts of many and pricked us to wonder “How many more years can he
watch the parade here with us?” And as news rolled around this February that he
had been hospitalized, this question turned into “Will he be able to watch the
SG50 parade this year?” But our bargain with the ailing man has fallen through,
apparently, and he merely lived long enough, as if to let our worries and
grieving be over earlier so we can truly celebrate with joy when August
arrives.
I’m
not going to yada about all the wonderful things this man has done; it is
undeniable and respectable that he has been an indispensable influencer and
leader of this city-state. Besides a pang of loss and waves of gratitude to God
for having granted us such a committed minister, what I feel now is a great
sense of moving on. It’s like how a father teaches a child to cycle: at first
the father holds on tight and pushes the child on the bicycle. Then he starts
to let go but keeps his hands there to catch the child if the bike tilts too
much. But finally the father has to let go entirely and leave the child to
balance and ride on their own. Without the guidance of our first leader, amidst
the rapidly evolving society, will our country still stand, and move forward?
2015
is indeed a year of change.