Accident - "Beyond One's Expectation"

It is so heart-wrenching to read about so many accidents every day that happen not just here in Singapore but abroad as well. Many families have lost their loved ones. The latest was the Bangkok Pub Blaze that happened on the New Year's Day and just across the Causeway, four friends died as their car slammed into bridge pillar.

The word "Accident" in Chinese Language ( yi wai) literally means "Beyond One's Expectation". It is true! Nobody expects accident to happen, but it could just happen anytime, usually without ample notice. Some accidents can be prevented by being more cautious and careful on our part; but some are just beyond our control. For example, a person may be waiting for a bus at the bus shelther but if a motorist suddenly loses control and rams his car towards the bus shelter and hits the waiting passenger, there is nothing much the passenger can do.

My mother used to say, "Setting out in a car is like going into the battle field, the risk of death is always there." But, that does not mean that we stop going out of the house, driving a car or taking a plane. Even if we stay at home, accidents may happen at home, too.

So, at the end of the day, if we have taken every precautionary measure and accident still happens, we just have to accept it as what many called fate, or some call it the will of God.