Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. (Deut 34:7 NIV)
Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit[b] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel. (Deut 34:9-12 NIV)
After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Mediterranean Sea in the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:1-9 NIV)Words cannot express the amount of gratitude I have for Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Even if there were words, I wouldn't know how to say them or pen them down.
Things like these leave my heart and mind jumbled up,
unable to find words to describe how I feel, let alone form grammatically correct sentences.
The day is still the same.
The sun still rises from the East.
And sets in the West.
It still beats down on us mercilessly.
People still go about their daily lives - grocery shopping, working, cooking etc. You name it.
This scenery I wake up to everyday still looks the same.
Nothing has changed.
Yet, today, the scenery had a sort of gloom.
Despite the hot sun shining brightly in the sky,
the gray cast was evident.
Not visually, but I guess we all felt it in our hearts.
Maybe it was my mind playing tricks on me,
Maybe it was my heart that painted everything gray.
But even the bright sunlight upon us couldn't dispel the gray shadows cast over this sunny island.
Nothing seemed different.
Yet everything felt different today.
I knew this day would come.
And I'd somewhat been expecting it.
But I never expected that, despite the knowledge of it all, I would feel this way.
I am sad. Yes.
And I can tell you, I never expected to be.
One People. One Nation. One Singapore.
We can only move forward together, and continue building upon your foundations.
In this country that steadily growing in dissentment,
Honestly speaking,
I don't know how many of us still remember this line.
But for those who do, let us strive towards it.
To our Founding Father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Your legacy lives on.
Rest in peace.