something grim.

As i was flipping through the papers this morning, i came across two cancer stories. Two different people from different parts of the world, unknowing to each other, connected only by the prospect of a life somewhere else. KPMG CEO eugene o kelly and Ex RGS student joan chan, 20 years old.

the KPMG CEO mentioned that in his hectic life up at the top, he has only had 2 lunchs a year with his wife, and has missed almost every school function that his daughter has. it was only when he was told he had brain cancer, when he started to cherish the limited time he has with his family.

"one of the tasks before i died was to unwind, or close, or, as i saw it, beautifully resolve my personal relationships. i wanted to do the very thing that wise people advise us to do. to stop long enough to think about the people we love and why we love them."

nearing his end, he mentioned that the best day of his life, was when he and his daughters were out at lake tahoe, and he sat at the front of the boat. watching the boat cut the glass-like water, it seemed like it was skating effortlessly along the surface. i think more than just the boat cutting the water, it was the peace he felt with the people he loved most dearly.

the next story, about joan chan. a 20 year old ex rgs student, with a place in NUS archi waiting for her. shes suffering from tongue cancer and has taken for a worse, with the disease spreading on its own. her ex school rallied around and raised 130k for her treatment.

the connection of two human beings living in different continents. the fraility of life.