It was 2 days ago when Mr Gerard Ee announced that he had 3rd stage of colon cancer. I was rather shock when I saw the article (
link here). I had met him once and had enjoyed the small chat with him. That was during the BreadTalk launch of LuvBite bun fundraising event back in 2004 (or somewhere around then) where I was doing co-emceeing. After the emceeing, I got to talk to him a while and found him to be very caring and filled with warmth. He was just what the article described as Mr Charity; a charitable person who can really handle charity organisations well. This was probably just a first impression but it will definitely be a lasting one.
So, he mentioned that it is important to talk about death because "if you treat death as taboo and don't prepare for it, you are leaving behind a legacy in which your family will suffer because you ignore it and pretend it won't happen to you." And indeed, death is what your life would really guarantee. It isn't comforting to talk about death, and I definitely know I will never get rid of that fear of dying, but I know for certain you can't avoid it (why keep silent about something unavoidable?). It isn't easy to face it either and one needs to learn enough to confront it courageously. Sometimes I do see people being able to confront death with so much coolness, but I know deep in them they are intimidated by it. You can't totally say that you're not scared of death but you know you can be assured about death and what happens to people around you (and you, yourself) after the end mark.
I need to learn more about that- how people confronts death. I'm amazed by people who know their remaining lifespan but are able to not shudder and cry their time away. Sometimes they may still do that, but most of the time they are fulfilling their life. It's time to learn of that, everyone. Let's wake up!
I love and treasure life because I know I will no live that life one day!
"Birth and death are both 5-letter words; but why is one celebrated while the other dilapidated?" Boon Keng (2008)