Sometimes the hardest part of a tragedy such as the one that gripped 麻豆社国产this past week is to simply let it be a tragedy.
Looking for answers and remedies is a part of the grieving process. At a time when we are reminded of how fragile life is and how little control we often have, the impulse to do something, to take control, is strong.
Hence the flurry of media reports and calls by elected officials to try to "fix" Sea to Sky Highway on which seven 麻豆社国产residents died in a horrible head-on collision last Saturday.
All too quickly, it seems, the focus turns from the people that lost their lives so tragically to the circumstances under which it happened. The faces of seven lives cut short and of the families and friends and community they have left behind have been quickly eclipsed by calls for lower speed limits, divided highways and better bus service.
While the media certainly take the lead in looking for answers, it's not exclusive to them. Everyone, from elected officials to kids in school, has a theory on how to stop such a tragedy from happening next time. Already many people have gotten away from the original focus to start criticizing each other for their ideas - witness our letters page this week.
Grief experts have stated that there are stages to dealing with catastrophic news: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The barrage of calls for changes and the clash of ideas can be seen, depending on your perspective, as denial or even bargaining - an attempt to move past the tragedy by focusing on preventing the next one.
But first, we have to give ourselves and our community time to mourn - both for those who lost their lives and for those they left behind.
There will be time to look to what has happened and determine what we can learn from it, and many of the ideas that have been raised can be discussed and debated. Indeed, to let this tragedy pass without making an effort to improve safety would dishonour the memory of those who died. But to move to the future without focusing on what has happened also dishonours them.
We encourage you to take a little time to reflect on this tragedy, what it means to you, to your friends, your neighbours and your community. Take a moment to pay respect to the seven lives that were cut short, either at the memorial services being held today and Saturday or privately.
Then we can move on and learn - properly.
