Friday, 27 March 2015

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A Letter to J: Remembering Lee Kuan Yew and our Pioneers Past and Present




My dear Little FECS,

Experiencing two deaths in a row within a month are hard to bear... but in the midst of our griefs and pain, tears and reflections, mommy gained a deeper understanding of the history of Singapore, of grandpa's life and of life in general, that mommy never truly learned sitting in the classroom as a child. Mommy hopes to share with you in this letter.

The Singapore today is the fruit of the teamwork, cooperation, sweat and life of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his team the old guards, the present leaders and each and every of us Singaporean. Each one of us, our great-grandparents, our grandparents, our parents and now us have stood together and supported one another in ensuring the continual existence of Singapore.


Without our founding father Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, we do not have what we have today.

Without the old guards in Mr. Lee’s team, Dr. Toh Chin Chye, Dr Goh Keng Swee, Mr. S. Rajaratam, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong, and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the present leaders, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the pioneer people of Singapore united and supporting our government, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the good opposition party members of Singapore, Mr. Chiam See Tong and many others, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Without the pioneer batch of ordinary and humble people like grandpa and grandma playing their parts, we would not have what we have today.

- Without the present people of Singapore, both in Singapore and overseas, united and supporting our government, we would not have the Singapore we have today.

- Most of all, without God’s blessings and protection, Singapore would not be what it is we have today, as we with all our abilities are but mere mortals.

The passing of our founding father and your grandpa led mommy to study more into the lives of the other pioneer leaders and the ordinary folks like your grandpa, and the common thread that ensured Singapore’s success emerged:

1. It is the integrity of character;

2. The love and commitment to marriage,

3. The devotion to the family;

4. The humility to serve the people;

5. The diligence to work hard;

6. The prudence to be thrifty;

7. The courage in the midst of difficulties and setbacks;

8. The compassion to humanity;

9. The passion for learning;

10. And last but not least, the fear of the Lord, as exhibited by their godly lives directly or indirectly.

Our pioneers were truly extraordinary and model for us an example to follow. It is their relentless effort to provide quality schooling for the population, which gives us a bright future. Each one of them, to the best of their ability and imperfections, gave or are giving their best to Singapore.

Singapore is a young nation of 50 years, but these are the same qualities that ensured the development of the Nordic nations for hundreds of years.

Our dear Little FECS, you are both fully Dane and fully Singaporean. Although you are not a Singaporean on passport, as Singapore does not recognize dual citizenship, in mommy's heart, you are, and mommy hopes you will see yourself as that.

What our pioneers and grandpa have taught us and modelled for us in their lives, mommy and daddy hope to teach you and model for you. Mommy and daddy hope that you will take education seriously and develop the joy and passion for learning. But we are mere mortals and imperfect, and we do not know how to teach or model for you. We pray and cry out to our Lord Jesus to help us to uphold these values.

One day, mommy and daddy will also pass on to meet with Jesus face-to-face… And we hope that when that time comes, that you will reflect back upon our lives and could honestly say that we have lived our lives and modelled for you integrity, commitment… to the best of our ability. And for any areas that we fall short, we hope that you will forgive us and look to Jesus as the perfect model.

Our dear Little FECS, when temptations come, run far away from them and pray to God to help you to uphold these values. When you are tested in situations, cry out to God to help you to uphold these values. Our God is faithful and He will help you and keep you righteous. Mommy is praying for you, even before you were born and right when you were a baby.

Mommy and daddy hope that you will model these values and pass on these values to your children and your children’s children.

Countries rise and fall with rampant corruption, self-centeredness and a lack of character. With a country ruled with a unity from its people with integrity and righteousness, Denmark and Singapore will survive. And you have to play your part in supporting and cooperating with the governments.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew painstakingly put all his efforts in writing his memoirs, because he wanted us to know the struggles Singapore and the old guards have gone through. Mommy has read it and gleaned some useful lessons from it, but it is only today, that mommy has really understood his deep and heartfelt sharing. In his resting place, Mr. Lee would be comforted that today many Singaporeans have understood what he has tried so hard to teach us in his memoirs all these years. Dear J, you are just a little boy of 6 years old now, far detached from the experience of history, but it is mommy’s prayer, that one day you will understand it too.

Our founding father's life and your grandpa's life have meaning. And we hope to live our lives with meaning too. We will keep your grandpa and our founding father Lee Kuan Yew in our hearts and in our memories.

1 comment:

  1. Hello!

    I came across your blog while searching for Montessori-style gift ideas and I found this post so beautifully written and touching in its sincerity that I had to comment. I was particularly inspired by the 10 'pillars' of success which you so eloquently presented, and the way that your faith and love of the Lord is woven through your words. It's just... all-around awesomeness:)
    God bless you and your family, Merry Christmas,
    Mel from New Zealand

    ReplyDelete

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