New Year Letter

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“If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.”

- anonymous –





Things change. Flowers bloom and wilt, animals live and die, people come and go. No matter how hard we resist, or how much we believe otherwise, the world changes each minute as it marches relentlessly along with the silent drumbeat of time.



If only things could stay the same. If only we could live an eternity in a moment, to grasp the laughter and joy of pristine ecstasy—be it the warmth felt in our families, the jokes shared amongst friends, or the comfort and companionship of loved ones.



After all, as cliché as it sounds, it seems as if it was only yesterday that we were all celebrating the end of ATEC, sitting in our bunks as we dreamed about the futures that we would embark on.



It feels like only yesterday that we were all laughing as we watched VCDs in the bunk, as we got more tickled by Siqi’s terror at the prospect of watching ‘The Ring’ in the dark, rather than be frightened by the movie.



It feels like only yesterday that we were running around and shoving unsuspecting victims into the sea as we enjoyed the sun, sand, sea, and the company of great friends, at our Sentosa platoon cohesion.



And it feels like only yesterday that I was sitting in the canteen with my platoon, getting a drink as we laughed and chatted about our lives, our stories, and our dreams.



So many things have changed. So many chapters of our lives have been written. And yet so many more are still empty, waiting for us to fill them.



It seems as if our lives in NS have now become long and monotonous, stretched like cold steel. We have new superiors to follow, new rules to obey, and new environments to adapt to. There is renewed, unnecessary, regimentation; there is less freedom once again. And the dull, bitter ache of emptiness, insignificance, and boredom gnaws at us everyday.



But there is one thing that can never change.



The past can never change.



The memories that we have will never be altered. We will always know that we were all platoon-mates once, that we went through hell and lived through it, that we strove to overcome everything that was hurled at us, and that we, above all, had fun, joy, and an unexplainable sense of meaning and purpose as a platoon, and as a group of friends.



Our memories, and our friendships, will never be taken away.



So remember all these things as we move along into the New Year. Remember the friendships and faces that filled our lives these past 2 years, remember the heart-warming moments shared between close buddies, and remember, simply, the fun we had. Remember that whatever crap that we’re in, whatever frustrations that we face, that we survived long route marches, hunger, incredible exhaustion, and a whole host of storms that were much bigger than what we have to go through now.



Remember that this too shall pass. We will get past all this. We will persevere and come out the better for it. Like we have always done.



Celebrate the gift of friendship as the New Year begins. Celebrate with the knowledge that we will have a fresh start and that we will always, always have our friends beside us through our ups and downs. For this is the beauty of life, that despite all the changes that we have to face, we can always fall back on the true friends that we have made.



I will always remember everything that we went through. I will always remember everything that we have done. And I will always cherish all that we shared.



I thank you all for having blessed me with your gifts, your personalities, and your company, my platoon-mates, friends, and buddies.



Have a great Christmas. And an even greater New Year.



To many more years of friendship.





God Bless,

Timothy