Hey friends,

The past week has been an emotional rollercoaster for me.

It was a pretty hectic one - adding the final touches to my University Application, receiving feedback from others, and writing recommendation letters for a couple of my friends. Anxiety, nerves, excitement.

Adding to that blend of emotions, I also went on a 3am night walk around campus with 2 of my friends as we talked about life and friendships. It was one of those conversations that were simultaneously deep yet light, reflecting on the harsh realities of life without bewailing on their woes, approaching the harsh realities of life with embrace and appreciation. My favorite type of conversations, I think.

We returned to the chalets about an hour later and stirred up a steaming bowl Instant Noodles while we continued talking. Our conversation was cut short when we realized we had half a loaf of bread left over to dip in the soup. Bliss. Bread, instant noodles and good conversation. Nothing extravagant and yet it was one of the best nights I’ve had in years. Gratitude, appreciation, happiness.

To top it all off, I found out that one of my batchmate’s mother passed away this week. Even though I wasn’t the closest to him, he frequently dropped by my chalet to go through some UCAT practice questions with my chalet-mate, Howard. He is a good man, steadfast in his beliefs, funny and approachable. The pain of losing a parent is one that I can draw parallels to from my own experiences. However, I can only imagine what he is going through with the loss happening at such a crucial time. [clarify with Howard] Empathy, helplessness, sorrow.

🎢 Rollercoaster Thoughts

Yes, it has been one hell of a ride, but it also led to me thinking a lot about life. Every so often, I seem to have this epiphany about life and I think I’ve finally understood what being human is all about. And just as often, something comes along and I can’t help but question all of my beliefs again.

Two days ago, I could’ve been absolutely certain that it is the simple things that make life beautiful when I was watching the sun set over the horizon, painting the sky a dark pink. And yet as I am writing this, my gut wrenches in pain at the thought of a fellow friend losing his mother at this time of uncertainty. The unfairness of it all, how could life possibly be beautiful?

I’m not about play the Messiah here by claiming that I found out what life is all about and preach it to you. If I have, you’ll definitely be the first people I share it with, but the truth is I haven’t. There is no shame in not knowing, and even less in learning.

For this issue, I’ll share with you a handful of quotes that has led to me having some very interesting thoughts about life. Seeing as the pressing deadlines for most people are now coming to an end, I hope the quotes and personal thoughts I share with you today will spark some novel thoughts within yourself as well.

Note that while most quotes and thoughts complement each other, there are a select few that oppose each other, often directly. Therein lies my dilemma which kickstarted interesting discussions with myself and others. Try giving each quote a read through and a minute’s muse. See if you can come up with your own worldview. Here we go.

Life is a tragedy to those who feel, a comedy to those who think.

You say the world is hard to bear. It is hard to bear, but don’t pretend to be so delicate.

If you are silent about the pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.

Nothing is good or bad, it is our own thinking that makes it so.

We are each our own devil, and we make this world our own hell.

We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.

You should live your life so that you are not afraid of death, and at the same time do not wish to die.

Expectation is the root of all heartache.

The more I love mankind as a whole, the less I love man in particular.

We suffer more in imagination than in reality

God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.

🍀 A Favor

Now, let’s round up this article with a Call-to-Action.

The good people at MUSCOM KYUEM have set up a donation fund for Fakhrullah’s family in light of his mother’s passing. When I first received news of his mother’s passing, I was feeling a little helpless. I knew I couldn’t exactly donate much because my claims are yet to be processed and there are upcoming University Application fees to be paid.

Then, I remembered that I have a small group of people who (I’m proud to say) engages with my content quite frequently. That’s how I can use this platform to do more for others. That’s how content creation can make a difference for others.

So, if any piece of content that I’ve put out so far has added value to your life, you’re grateful for it and would like to do some good today, here’s your chance.

Please donate whatever amount that you’re comfortable with to the Surau Al-Saad bank account with the Recipient Reference as 'Sumbangan Fakhrullah'.

To make the job easier, just select Bank Islam and copy-paste this number into your online transaction platform: 08068010003952.

To Fakhrul, I’m sending loads of faith, strength and love your direction. Saying that this is a tough pill to swallow would be underselling it, but I have faith that you’ll come out of it all stronger. Take all the time you need to heal and find your anchor, we’re here for you.

With that said, I hope that these series of thoughts and quotes added some value to your life in some shape, way, or form.

Have a great week ahead and see you in the next issue of Sunday Scoop!

Jia Shing.

Links

1. 💬 Quote - Here is a very timely Dumbledore quote from one of my favorite fantasy series - Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix and it integrates nicely into this week’s topic. Resurfaced by Readwise.

2. 📚 Book - This week, I revisited 'Show Your Work' by Austin Kleon to get some inspiration on my writing. I realized that in barely 70 pages, this is the book with the most highlights (86). Definitely on my top 10 'highest ROI' book of all time.

Question

Is life a comedy or a tragedy? A comedic tragedy or a tragic comedy?

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