¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. – Ecclesiastes 3

I was reading Justice Tay’s verdict to the NSmen Dave Teo Ming, and I can’t help but say that his speech moved me. There was certainly an a touch of compassion. I could fully empathize with what the young man went through. My own upbringing is not perfect, and is marked my familial quarrels and tensions. Joel just taught the other day that sudden withdrawal of love, affection and contact with someone you are close to or care about is a display of emotional abuse. I’ve just come to realized that I was subjected to that when I was younger. I probably suffered it much more than any of my siblings as I was older and knew more of what was happening. It also explains tremendously why I’m going through all the emotional ups and downs. But at least, he has a few sentences that gave me hope:

‘There was a time you were broken down, now is the time to build yourself up. There was a time when you were at war in your being, now is the time to restore peace within.’