#RememberingMH17

Since the news broke, every major news outlet and social media feed have been occupied with developments about MH17. International journalists and photographers such as Fergal Keane, Noah Sneider, Shaun Walker and Pierre Crom have been tweeting what they saw at the crash site with great detail. Images and vivid descriptions of the crash site made me shudder to think – what could have been a trip to visit home or to a relaxing holiday became fatal in an instant.

I feel deep sorrow for everyone affected by the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. We can only imagine what the family and relatives are going through. The feeling of losing loved ones can be too much to bear. The pain is even more intolerable knowing that one cannot say a proper goodbye to the departed.

298 beautiful souls were on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on that fateful day. It made me realized that there will be circumstances beyond our control. We cannot dictate the circumstances but we can choose how we react to them.

There will be anger, distress, confusion, and a sense of loss. During times like these, I believe what we can do as global citizens is to advocate good will rather than hatred. Hatred leads to conflict and hostility; as it escalates, people will be more vulnerable to psychological pain or to the extent of causing physical harm.

I cannot shake away the fear that the eventual cause of human extinction may be in the hands of man-made disasters. We may not be able to directly change the course of world events, but we can amplify the good in this world and keep negativity in check.

And lastly, of course, from this I am reminded of the importance to embrace every moment as much as possible. To live and love every second of our lives the best we can.