What the Tanjong Pagar Crash Taught Me on How To Live Life
It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives - Samuel Johnson
On the second day of Chinese New Year, 5 men lost their lives in a pre-dawn crash along Tanjong Pagar Road. A white BMW M4 skidded along Tanjong Pagar Road, slamming into a vacant shophouse and burst into flames.
I can only imagine the horror of their families, receiving such news on a festive season. Mourning for the loss of their loved ones when all others were celebrating. I’m sure every Chinese New Year from now on, will bring with it a heart wrenching memory.
It feels like death is everywhere this days. A classmate of mine passed away after battling meningitis for 3 months. Earlier this February, a student from Anglo-Chinese School died in a high-element activity. He lost his footing and was “suspended by the safety harness” in mid-air. A woman was on her morning run when a tree fell on her, an unexpected (almost comical) incident that took her life.
Truth is, death can come at anytime, anywhere. Being sick is not a prerequisite to death. You could be chasing the adrenaline rush, in a safety harness or living your life as per normal. It’s not in our hands, to decide when it happens.
But as Muslims we believe that there are 3 things that’s in our hands;
Abu Qatadah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The best of what a man leaves behind are three: (1) a righteous child who supplicates for him, (2) ongoing charity the reward of which reaches him, and (3) knowledge that is acted upon after him.”1
— Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 237
It warmed my heart to read that those men were doing charity work (with Hopes In Meals) hours before the accident. They were packing and distributing food to the elderly — low-income seniors living in rental flats at York Hill Estate in Tiong Bahru.
When netizens pointed on the recklessness of their mistakes, they had friends who stood up for them in their absence. “Over the past few days, many people have been saying nasty things about them, but they don’t know what they were really like.”
What if instead of pointing out what they did wrong, we reflect on what we’ve done to prepare for when it’s our turn to say goodbye. Are you a dutiful son/daughter to your parents? If you are a parent, have you been raising your children to make good choices? What legacy are you leaving behind to be remembered by? In what ways are you putting your educational qualifications or life lessons to good use?
The Tanjong Pagar Crash incident taught me to start living the life I want today. Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. How are we owning the breaths we take today when so many other are not as fortunate? That’s the reason behind why I write.
My condolences goes to the families who are grieving. Life doesn’t teach us how to let go. Maybe its because our loved ones never really leave. Goodbyes are not forever; are not the end, it simply means we’ll miss them until we meet again.
Basrah is a Year 3 Medical Student in FK UMSU, Medan who is also an aspiring authorpreneur. Read Basrah's humble beginnings, "From Rejection to Motivation". Feel free to send Basrah a message here.