I don't know if it's because of the year-end, but I'm feeling a bit wistful and especially poignant. It's the end of the year, when the past wraps up and new beginnings are to come. People celebrate the Christmas spirit of loving and sharing, and catch up with their family and friends.
But for some people unexpected things happen to change their plans.
The Mumbai terrorist attack took away Lo Hwei Yen, at the prime of her life at 28 when she's starting a new journey with her husband of one year. I did a google search and chanced upon her Friendster page, still functioning. Her photos are accessible to the public, as well as her writeup on herself:
Who I Want to Meet: Someone who'll save me from myself... Oh wait, I already found him. :P
Newspapers print letters pouring in from politicians and public alike who say they empathise with and share her family's loss. To the logical skeptic these people are unnecessarily emotional. But somehow I can identify, because like her, I have just started a new phase of my life. There's so much to do, too early to die.
Today I was watching a documentary on Animal Planet, showing a zookeeper in Tobe Zoo, Japan, who raised a baby polar bear who was rejected by her mum. Atsuhito Takaichi took Peace home, fed her with milk from a bottle, let her sleep on the bed with his two toddlers and took walks with her. But at 2 years old, he had to return Peace to the zoo because she had grown too big.
The documentary showed all the challenges he had to prepare her for, such as forcing her to learn swimming so she can stay cool in the summer. Tough love.
As Peace grew to an enormous bear, she would still run to the edge of her cage when she spies him walking past. She would also stick her paws out hoping to touch him. But it's time for him to let go. So sad!
Every year as Peace celebrates her birthday in the zoo, Atsuhito, his wife, teenage daughter and son make a home-made cake and sing a birthday song for her at their home, because they can't get near to her anymore.
Even after just 1 year with my cats, I can't imagine having to 割爱 like that.
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