Valentine's Day and Remembrance: Remebering Jolene

Just come to write a short post on something that touches my heart...

Valentine's Day - 14/2 every year is supposed to be a happy day - where couples get hitched and express their love for one another for all eternity (or so much of the crap - because I am not attached yet)

But today, this post is not to commemorate the spirit of V-Day, rather, it is used here to commemorate the spirit of one fellow contemporary and PS Major, like me, but died very unfortunately at the tender age of 21.

Jolene Tan Jie Yi (1985-2007)

A person with immense fighting spirit, a young girl with a lot of willpower to presevere on her life even as she knew that her days and life were permanently twisted out of her hands as she cannot live her life and enjoy it like most of of us...

As I heard from my friends, she had an operation 3 years ago because her condition took a turn for the worse - and that was the last major operation before she passed away. She would have known about her own condition - and she might also have known that she might not have much longer to live back then.

But Jolene did not despair. She presevered on. Every time of the day she spent time as well as she could, even as it meant that she slowly walked to lectures and classes with her friends following her every step, every move...she kept up to pace with the lessons she did. I can remember seeing her with her bright radiant smile as I took a module with her last semester. I cannot come to terms with the fact that behind her laughter and bright smile, that this very pretty and feisty gal had deep troubles that vert few will even muster the courage to meet it head on. Not me definitely.

I cannot say much since I am not one of her close friends. But what I can tell you is that after learning of what she has done through my friends who know her well makes me give her a lot of respect, my personal admiration. Because she never gave up. Because she never stopped in achieving what she wanted to do - to continue in the pursuit of learning, the fulfilment of her dreams.

One of my friends told me that we should not weep for her, but rather celebrate for her. Celebrate the life of hers because she has lived it to the max. Because she has lived it to the fullest. For that we will not weep, but we will say - Thank you, Jolene.

Thank you for showing us what it means to enjoy life to the fullest, and striving to achieve our dreams in all adversity.

Jolene, deep down in my heart, I salute you, and may the Gods bless you wherever you may be.

I hope that all of you, when you read this post, will pause to think and reflect about yourself. I am not perfect, and I realise how small I am compared to her. I will definitely revise my actions and be more accomodating in the pursuit of my dreams to achieve the very best in spite of all adversity.

I hope all of you embrace Jolene's spirit as well and use her as a role model in achieving our dreams in the right spirit and mentality - living life to the fullest.