Recently, my best friend’s nephew who was only two years old just passed away. The poor little baby boy was just fine and the next moment he lost his consciousness and after arriving to the hospital, his heartbeat stopped!
Prior to the tragedy, there was no big sickness or symptoms that worries. It is an unnatural death. Autopsy was performed, but doctor can only conclude that it was heart failure without any other reasons found. The family was desolated!
My friend who is always being cautious about his financial, suddenly confided in me that after this incident, he started thinking that life is so vulnerable and short, and maybe we should also just enjoy the current moment a bit more than what we do now.
One lament includes the saying that maybe we should just buy a big house with a nice sea view and enjoy the living with our loved ones, before it will suddenly become too late?
This episode also brings me back to seven years ago when I blogged on my second post “Life is unpredictable”, after my then broker just collapsed and died of brain stroke.
In that post, I also refer to Dennis Ng, a local Singaporean financial adviser who passed away at the age of 42 in 2012. Dennis is very frugal and always live within or below his means. Even though he is multimillionaire and founded several businesses, he continue to stay in HDB, and take “BMW” from home to work. BMW = Bus, MRT or Walk.
It left me wonder that if life is really that vulnerable?
Should we really be so calculative in planning our finance, being extremely frugal, saving every cents, and being worrisome about the extra dollars we are going to spend more? When perhaps one day, all these numbers does not matter anymore?
Yes, we are happy if we see the growing numbers on our portfolio or in our bank accounts!
That said, if I don’t spend it, it will only be a mere number that perhaps guard my continuous hidden pride within myself without doing anyone else good? Of course, we need to keep a part of it for rainy days, and unexpected events! This is common sense!
What I am saying is that sometimes from our over emphasis on money, there are too many times when we can make our own life, or the lives of our closed ones really miserable.
Perhaps we should spend and do treat the people around us good with our financial prowess?
Perhaps we should help those who is really in need? Our small donation can mean a lot to those who is in need of money for survival.
Perhaps we can have a treat for our family members and loved ones with some money spend?
After all, we come to this world naked and we will also leave naked.
My condolences to the demise of your friend's newphew, and your friend family.
I think money is really important in caregiving. But I agree with you we need to live the present with no regrets.
I was worried about my parents cost of palliative care, although my elder brother assure me all is fine
I remember being in charge of respite nurse arrangement, and it goes to thousands in a fortnight.
We have 3, to share the burden, and I wonder how I can arrange my passing on since my son is my only child.
I remembered selling my policy to raise cash, and I heard about friends who sold their property to raise money for medical care overseas.
Sigh…
Yet, if u ask me. Money is a problem, but we are in Singapore, we should get reasonable medical care if we are willing to buckle down …
I know of people who dump their parents, even before their deminse
Some suck the blood out of their parents and is a leech
No end to how low it gets
I always remind myself to let go whenever I am upset with my loved ones.
Life is too short to bear a grudge
Hi SI, thanks for the comments. In fact, my FIL just passed away this month of whom, we were his caregiver. Yes, life is short to be unforgiven.
Life is indeed unpredictable. That is why I am thankful to God every night for letting me live to expeeience a full day, hopefully of benefit to someone. Similarly, I thank God for letting me survive the night to start a brand new day.
I worry for my 4 year old boy and what I am able to leave him. As I am divorced, I am worried if I pass on before he is 21 years old, my ex-spouse may mishandle my son's finances. Then I pause…and I commit to God that He will make a way.
Amen to that Caelitus. I love your positiveness and God faithfulness.
Yes, life is unpredictable and we can go anytime when the Maker calls us back. But I think we should still be financially prudent and accumulate our portfolio under the assumption we will live to our eighties or nineties to avoid being a burden to our children then. Also of equal importance is to appreciate and cherish each and every second that we have in this world and make sure we spend quality time with the important persons in our lives and leave behind no regrets.
Hi ADX, yes agree with you. End of the day, it must be a balance and quality time not materialistic is impt. Not over thrifty and not over spendthrift.