a passing | here's to life!

He was the new guy at work. We exchanged smiles every time our paths met, but we never talked, partly because I as a rule never approach guys who are good-looking (stupid rule but you know me, always too embarrassed for nuts). But during the hustings, he was assigned to my group. And it was from there that we started talking. He found me familiar, we compared our past and realized we were jc mates, same batch, just a class apart. In fact, a friend of mine had a humungous crush on him back in jc, and it’s not difficult to see why. He turned out to be a really nice guy, and was really helpful during his brief time at the hustings. He was obviously proud of his wife and baby (yes he was already a father, and I wasn’t even married back then!) – had photos of them in his wallet which he would fish out without hesitation every time they were mentioned. From then on, we were like old friends, always teasing and bantering when we meet. He’s always teasing me about the sex talks that I had to give (the virgin sex expert he would call me), and I’m always calling him the handsome boy. We promised to keep in touch when he left for a better job, but like all busy people, we never did. And now we never will, for he passed away last Sunday.

He was my age. So young, so fit, in the prime of his life. But he woke up early that Sunday morning feeling breathless, and he passed away soon after, from heart seizure. To his wife and kid (and another along the way) – my deepest sympathies. I cannot imagine how it is like being in their shoes, but I hope that they’ll be able to cope with their loss and move on eventually.

As a colleague aptly put it, “his passing has left us with the sobering message of not taking our lives for granted and the importance of making each day count, wherever we are and whoever we are with”.

So….here’s to life!

On that note, I’m pleased to share with you photos of that happy milestone in my life. It’s been exactly one month to the day, and I’ve enjoyed every single day of it. Here’s to many more happy days to come!