THERE ARE FRIENDS THAT I REMEMBER...

A former colleague of mine passed away two days ago. I came to know about it when I was browsing the papers this morning. There she was, in the half-page obituary, smiling exactly like she used to in the staff room all those years ago. We had lost contact a few years after she retired.

Early last month, I was informed via email of the passing of an ex-classmate. She had located me via Facebook in September 2011. We had exchanged several FB comments and had arranged to meet up when it all ended abruptly with her demise on 30 November 2011. Her FB page is still up, and my photo is still on her friends' list.

It's been more than two years since a blogger friend passed on, but his writings remain on his blog. His photo on the homepage still welcomes all his blog followers. It is as if he never left.

With almost everyone that I know using social media to connect online, we are reestablishing contact with people that we have lost touch with over the years - former classmates, colleagues, and relatives. Even lovers. It's a sad tale of touching base again with dear old friends, only to lose some of them shortly after.

Given that many of us are moving into our 70s and 80s, this is something that we will have to get used to - receiving news about old friends who have passed on.

May they rest in peace.

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Live life, love life, for who can tell when our time is up