Write to Win: What is one thing that people learn only after it’s too late? (Round 7)

The average life expectancy is around 70 years. One can hope that our loved ones will accompany us for as long as possible, but the reality is that life can be very unpredictable.

We all experienced this first-hand during the Covid-19 pandemic, when isolation orders prohibited visits to elderly homes and hospitals. Many people did not even have the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. This unpredictability should remind us to cherish every moment.

In today’s world, people are very busy throughout all stages of life. Naturally, they have less time to spend with their families. Students juggle their studies and social lives. After graduation, people focus on building careers and worry about making money. Once they reach middle age, they are preoccupied with other priorities, such as saving money to purchase a new house or travelling.

But we never know when a loved one will be taken away from us. We should cherish our family and take the time to hug them.

Banana: Without a doubt, the significance of fatherly love. The bond between a mother and her child is profound, stemming from the experience of carrying a child in the womb. This special connection defies description but is marked by a sense of closeness and attachment. While society tends to highlight the nurturing role of mothers, the importance of a father’s presence and affection is often overlooked.

Both children and parents may struggle to articulate their emotions and show how they feel. Men especially face societal pressures to suppress their feelings and conform to masculine concepts and often aren’t good at expressing emotions. This love is like a hologram – it is visible but intangible.

With time comes a deeper understanding of different relationships. Milestones like parenthood or losing your father offer insight into the sacrifices fathers make out of pure love. Fathers undoubtedly love their children, but expressing this love can be challenging for them.

A small gesture like saying “I love you” can mean the world to your dad. Treasure the time spent with your father. Show him you care. Create memories that you can cherish forever, as you never know when these fleeting chances will disappear once and for all.

Pear: Imagine lying in a hospital bed hooked up to beeping monitors indicating that your time in this world is fleeting.

You then try to recall a memory before you leave this world, but you realise that you spent your life obsessively chasing achievements, taking tiny joys and loved ones for granted.

It is a sobering reality that many people only come to understand life’s true meaning as death draws near.

Society has defined success solely by career milestones and material gains for far too long. In pursuit of more, we sacrifice time with family and friends. But in the end, all those accolades mean nothing.

We must understand how brief and fragile life truly is. Prioritising to-do lists and promotions means nothing to you in the end. All that matters are the faces around your bed, and those you wish could be there one last time.

Only facing mortality clarifies what matters. What matters is not a list of accomplishments one clings to but the relationships we have neglected so far.

Only then does the truth resonate that the meaning of life lies not in what is gained but in whom we love, an awareness that tragically dawns for many when it is too late to make a difference.

Cherry: It can be hard to say “sorry” or “I love you”. Confessing our true feelings to others is one of the most fiddly things, and we only learn to speak up when it is too late.

Arguments and misunderstandings are unavoidable. However, people tend to avoid talking about their genuine emotions and clarifying things. This can damage a friendship.

People only regret not telling the other person their true feelings after separating. Though many of us love our family, we also take them for granted. We rarely express our gratitude or even tell them that we love them until a beloved family member is sick or passes away.

Confessing our true feelings also applies in romantic relationships. We rarely tell our crush that we like them because we are too frightened to bear the feeling of rejection. Often, we wait for the other side to take the initiative. But once the opportunity to confess has passed, it is too late.

This is more unbearable than rejection, and we often regret not confessing.