On the 2nd day of the Lunar New Year, Singaporeans awoke to shocking news of a car accident at Tanjong Pagar that claimed 5 lives.
One of the victims of the accident was 26-year-old Mr Wilson Teo.
In response to an article by The Straits Times (ST) that featured an interview with Wilson’s family members, a netizen took to Facebook to express his sympathy for parents of the victims.
As his post is rather lengthy, we summarise the key points of it below.
Singaporean Michael Han starts off his Facebook post by questioning how a parent can protect their child from the randomness of life.
He then shared that the loss of 5 lives from the Tanjong Pagar accident was simply “heartbreaking” and even more so when he read the ST article.
In the article, father of 26-year-old victim Wilson Teo said he broke down when he learnt of his son’s death. He could never have expected something like this to happen.
He struggled to accept the fact that his son is gone.
Wilson’s grieving mother shared similar sentiments in the article, saying the family left their front door open that day, hoping against hope that Wilson would eventually return.
All she wanted was for Wilson to call her “mum” one more time.
Mr Han then veered back to the topic of protecting one’s child from the randomness of life.
After all, no one can escape the odds of life as there will always be uncertainties.
Illustrating his point, the netizen referenced another ST article that spoke about the unlikelihood of fires in the case of car accidents, thanks to something known as “crumple zones” that is designed to crumple and prevent impact on the fuel tank and engine.
Mr Han elaborated that despite cars having safety features installed in them,
…Risks, designs and human behaviour all play a part in the events that unfolded.
This explains why when it comes to safety on the road, “some get away with it while others sadly don’t.”
Reading about Wilson’s parents, Mr Han empathised with them.
He said as parents, they would have always wanted to be the so-called “crumple zones” their children to “reduce the impacts” from the world.
But while love can cover a multitude of sins, it cannot shield from risks. There are some things one cannot control, like decisions made by others.
Although loss can hurt deeply, it can also be motivation to live on, said Mr Han.
All in all, there’s a season for nurturing children and a season to let go and let them embark on their own journey.
For as parents, let us always keep our doors open with a welcoming heart and a spirit that never takes anything for granted.
The love of a parent is truly unparalleled.
Our hearts go out to the loved ones of the accident victims, especially their parents.
While the accident might be widely reported and discussed, we hope the parents will stay strong, and hold the memories spent with their children close to their hearts.
Lastly, let this be a grim reminder to never to take anyone in our lives for granted — cherish every moment with your loved ones and take good care of yourselves in equal measure.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Facebook.
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