Hi everyone
I had a post scheduled for today. It was a light-hearted piece that I’m sure many would have enjoyed discussing. But in view of the devastating news last night about the missing MH370 plane, I decided to shelve it for now. It didn’t feel right.
I’m not usually one to wear my heart on my sleeve. When the plane first went missing on 8 March 2014 I thought about it and decided not to write about it. This is a happy place and most of you come here to find a happy place. Besides, no one knew any better what had happened and I chose to say nothing.
Over the weeks, in a multi-national effort, and in what I believe is the longest search mission ever conducted for a missing plane, our hopes were raised and then dashed with no real conclusion either way. Until last night.
As many of us already know by now, it was announced last night by our Prime Minister that following information from the UK Air Accident Investigation Board and based on new calculations of flight path, the conclusion is that Flight MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean, west of Perth.
It is a remote location, far from any possible landing site and it was concluded therefore that that was where the flight ended. Multi-national search teams have already been combing the area and until conclusive debris or the black box is found, we know little more than this – that the flight ended where it did.
While I believe this raises many more questions than it answers, it also provides some form of closure. Many of us were praying for nothing short of a miracle even if deep down we guessed at the truth.
This has been a tragedy that has hit close to home for me. While I did not personally know anyone on the flight, this had involved my national carrier; and my country, with all its failings and foibles, has been thrust into the international limelight to face a situation no one would wish on their worst enemy. Yet, even as I can imagine the theories, fingerpointing, ranting and criticism begin, let us remember that on that ill-fated flight MH370 were 239 people – passengers and air crew.
239 people who will never return home again.
I’m not a deeply religious person but I will be lighting a candle at the temple and saying a prayer for these 239 lost souls and their families who must be heartbroken and devastated at this piece of news. Whatever your beliefs, I urge you to just pause for a moment, observe a minute of silence and thought, or spare a short prayer for these 239 missing people and their families.
Above all, I urge also that in the course of sharing news and thoughts on this, be sensitive and be considerate.
God bless and Rest in Peace.
Paris B
Note: I usually reply to all comments but in this instance, I think there is little I can add to our prayers and what everyone has shared below. Thank you everyone for sharing in the grief and empathizing during this dark and emotional time of our lives.
May their souls rest in peace, and may their families find strength and comfort in these dark days.
This post left me in tears, PB. What a sad, depressing thought that it has happened 🙁 Especially the families of all the passengers and crew members who have no concrete explanation of what happened, as well as bodies to mourn over 🙁 Prayers and hugs to the families.
This tragedy brings pain that time can only heal, no words could ease what we truly feel. But with our Heavenly Father in Heaven, the 239 lost souls’ love leaves a memory no one can steal. We send thoughts of sympathy and support to the grieving families and friends. May the love and joy of the 239 lost souls be eternally sealed as we cherish their memories that death cannot even steal…
May the family members of the passengers on MH370 find the strength to go on. At least they can now grieve instead of hanging in a limbo. I cried this morning when I saw the news. No, I don’t know anyone on the ill fated flight but such terrible loss of human lives is devastating.
My condolences and prayers to the families.
God bless.
🙁 God bless for the lost souls. It’s a day that the world will mourn together.
I heard the news from my father who read it from the Internet.
I’m still hoping that they somehow managed to survive on lifeboat, maybe still waiting for rescue or maybe stranded at an uncharted island. Doa and prayers for people onboard MH370, wish for the best for them.
This is a heartbreaking news when I saw our PM announced it last night. I am deeply saddened. For all families and friends who was on board with MH370, I send my condolences and prayers.
I think announcing this early in the search and rescue was the right thing to do. According to experts, this salvage operation could take longer than the 2 years it took to find AF447 and I don’t think it’s fair to keep the families waiting until the black box/fuselage is found to confirm the fate of MH370.
Anyway, I don’t see how anyone could have survived because there was no way they could have deployed the lifeboats in mid-air. Maybe I’m just a realist, but I hope that everyone was unconscious when the plane hit water, because drowning slowly inside the plane is even worse.
Regarding the calls for improvements in tracking of commercial planes, I wonder who is going to bear the cost of the purported billions of dollars to upgrade the radar to GPS tracking. Will air travel get even more expensive now? Should we leave our phones on during a flight so that our personal GPS can stay active?
Hi Firn,
I hate to say this too, but I share your thoughts, too. It is a tragic closure for the family members, and for me, it can never be a closure until one sees the deceased body. I also felt it is quite impossible to survive Indian Ocean, knowing the strong waves will tire anybody within minutes. I have been to the ocean once, and the weather was bad, I thought I wouldnt make it back to the shore. Still, I do pray and hope for miracles, even the slightest, to happen.
We are all mourning over the news. May God bless the souls of those 239 people on board, and may their life story and life legacy continue to carry on.
Very nice writing Paris. The news bring tears to many, thus could not imagine the agony the family and live ones have been through now. I hope, although the news are breakhearting, they can find closure in some ways. Yes it is affected lots of people, I believe many of us checking the news regularly hoping good news and the hope ended yesterday. May all passengers and crews be in peace And the fam & loves one given strength to go through
So, so sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families.
Dear PB,
I share the same thought as you. Exactly what i’ve been thinking has been written beautifully by you. Thank You.
Very well written…
Saw a girl on lrt this morning reading Metro with the title “MH370 terhempas di Lautan Hindi” and my heart immediately sank. Spent my journey thinking about the passengers and their families whom I have come to know from the newspapers and the internet. Shed tears at my desk this morning reading the press conference and how it has finally come to this. Felt even more sad when I read Elizabeth Nari’s twitter posting on her father and also looking at the many pictures of relatives grieving.
May God continue to give strength and comfort to the families and next-of-kin who has lost love ones on this flight. May the souls of all those who died rest in peace.
My heart aches for the lives lost and their families whose lives will never be the same again. Sadly, I do have family who knows some of the passengers on board MH370. Some were my cousin’s colleagues and one used to work with my dad. So yes, it does hit close to home.
I’m not going to go into how the governments of the countries involved worked, the theories, the speculations and so on because at the end of the day, it doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a sad, sad day for all.
May all of MH370 rest in peace and may the families also be given peace, comfort and strength.
It is a very sad day for the our country 🙁
Words are simply insufficient at a time like this. While Malaysians and the world mourn, the suffering of the family and friends of those who were on flight MH370 is beyond compare.
239 of MH370, may you find peace and may your loved ones find the strength to carry them through the grief.
May God keep them safe and may they all rest in peace. Everyday I’ll hug my family a little tighter, call them more and tell them everything I’ve wanted to say. We never know when it may be our last chance.
Thanks Paris for this post. This event hits so close to home.
My flight from Malaysia to Shanghai was just the day after this incident. I normally travel with MAS or Cathay. Even though I was on a Cathay flight that day, I couldn’t help thinking that it could have well been my flight that goes missing as it was on a similar route.
My prayers are with those on board and their families and friends. My heart goes out to all the search and rescue teams for their sacrifices in trying to help and find closure for all the victims. Search and rescue efforts are never easy and I am sure they would have done their best.
This is not a time to point finger or lay blame on any party. But instead it should have been a wake up call to all countries to cooperate to find solution so that this type of incident would not happen again in the future. Seriously, it could have happen to anyone, any flight, any country. Please do not let MH370 perished in vain.
If there are lost souls, may they rest in peace. If there are survivors, may they somehow find their way back to us. We must remain hopeful but we must also move on. God bless.
I don’t know why but I still have some hope ! Maybe bcoz I prayed a lot !
love from India