Don't Judge A Man Until You Close His Coffin

Singapore's Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew said this (don't judge a man until you close his coffin) in his latest interview.... I always believe that hope means just that... people can change as long as he has his mental faculties! As long as a man is alive, there is always hope that he can change. So, Mr. Lee is right! It is at death that the conclusion of a man's life is sealed.

I've been to a few funerals where in death, you see the worth of their lives in the eyes of their fellow man (and woman). My first impression was formed some years ago at a friend's funeral. Never had I seen so many people who came, for the 3 days. And those who came, came because they had genuine affection for my friend. And many too, because their lives were touched by her. When the coffin is closed, you see a person's worth (or unworth).

Growing old... I think most of us will never be ready for it. We want to continue living if possible. Lee Kuan Yew is the man who laid the foundation of modern Singapore, one of the few SEA tigers still standing proudly after the 1998 financial crunch. Yet, mortality comes a-knocking at this 'tiger' himself. No one lives forever.

This interview shows his softer (perhaps softening??) side... reflective, a man searching and trying to accept what is to come. I've read both his books.. The Singapore Story. Very thick books they are but I enjoyed reading them, especially Part 1. It provides insights from his angle... not the usual diatribes we hear from ours.

MM Lee is 87 this year... his mind is still sharp. He's blessed than most but also mortal like everyone of us. Growing old... it's a hard on everyone. And no one escapes it.