1 Wholesome Story For Every Month In 2019
Yes, there were plenty of nasty and terrible things that happened in 2019, but there were equally many good things. Often, the bad will impress and be preserved in our memory with greater force than the good.
At MS News, we hope to balance things out. So here’s a look at some of the more inspiring, heartwarming actions of people in 2019.
January — a father’s unconditional love
“If you tell me that this religion gives you joy, why should I stop you?” Those were the words that the father of Chinese Muslim convert Jinghan Naan told her when she asked why he had no reservations about her conversion.
Jinghan’s father felt that as a parent, his children’s happiness is of the utmost importance, and thus would support any decision his daughter makes, as long as she’s happy.
When asked by a Carousell seller about his daughter’s conversion, his answer was straightforward,
I support!
Read the full article here.
February — A-level students from Tanah Merah Prison
End-February was a nervy period for students waiting to receive their A-level results and especially so for a group of 34 students from Tanah Merah Prison School.
Despite the tough situation they are in, 21 of them can now further their studies thanks to their results. The top scorer had managed an impressive 5 As.
Sembawang MP Amrin Amin visited the group and took to Facebook to praise them, reminding everyone of the value of hard work and perseverance.
Read the full article here.
March — a life-changing cup of chocolate milk tea
With urgent deadlines to meet and difficult colleagues to manage, working life is no walk in the park. One story in March, however, showed us we aren’t having it as difficult as others.
On 28 Mar, Mr Jantan – a GrabFood customer – was slightly annoyed at how long his food delivery rider was taking, but later found himself “in awe” when he saw his rider rolling herself slowly to his block in a wheelchair.
Unbeknownst to him, Ms Ghazali travelled from Tampines to Bedok Reservoir on her motorised wheelchair, just to deliver a single cup of chocolate milk tea.
Ms Ghazali’s tale touched many and she was subsequently interviewed by numerous publications.
Earlier this month, the 40-year-old tied the knot with her husband and received a slew of well-wishes from Singaporeans.
Read the full article here.
April — Singapore’s own ‘sakura season’
Singaporeans were treated to a ‘sakura season’ of our own in April as trumpet trees across the island bloom in unison.
Flowering Trumpet Tree at North Buona Vista Road
Source
This gorgeous display only lasted 3 weeks, but countless Singaporeans managed to capture shots of the phenomenons for their ‘grams.
Trumpet trees along Ulu Pandan Park Connector
Source
Despite the concrete jungle that we live in, spectacular natural displays like this never fail to take our breath away.
Read the full article here.
May — Grab driver plays call to prayer for passenger to break fast
May was a special month for Muslim Singaporeans as they fasted throughout the month of Ramadan. One non-Muslim Grab driver, however, went out of his way just to help his passenger break fast.
Initially listening to an English radio channel, Mr Raghu switched to a Malay station so his passenger could listen to the Islamic call to worship, allowing him to break his fast.
Mr Raghu actions not only touched the passenger’s heart, but also taught us the importance of looking out for each other, regardless of our faiths.
Read the full article here.
June — Hari Raya prayer shows the power of faith
Singapore may be a modern and secular nation, but religion and faith still play a huge part in many of our lives.
On Hari Raya Puasa (5 Jun), hundreds of Muslim gathered outside Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam and prayed in unison.
Sultan Mosque
Source
Dressed in ethnic garbs of different colours, the alley leading up to the mosque’s entrance was instantly transformed into an awe-inspiring tapestry.
Read the full article here.
July — Changi Airport staff helps boy with autism return home
Some parents may be able to relate to the fear and anxiety felt when they are not aware of their child’s whereabouts.
On 29 Jul, Thaddeus – a young boy with autism – was travelling on a bus alone towards Our Tampines Hub for tuition, but overslept and missed his stop.
Thankfully for him, a Changi Airport staff went out of his way to help him navigate home to his loved ones, even calling Thaddeus’s care-giver to reassure her about his situation.
With his help, the young boy remained calm throughout the episode, likely due to the airport staff’s “assistance and concern”.
Read the full article here.
August — selfless workers help cleanup spilled kopi
Spilling a cup of coffee on the MRT would surely rank highly on any Singaporean’s list of most embarrassing thing that could happen.
Fortunately for this coffee-spiller, 2 kind workers who happened to be in the train cabin stepped up and offered to help her clean up the sticky mess.
Seeing that they had ran out of tissues, the 2 kind samaritans took out their own cloth gloves and used it to clean the spillage.
Read the full article here.
September — Chinese uncle helps arrange slippers at Buangkok Mosque
September was a particularly hazy month for us and many Singaporeans tried their best to stay indoors as much as possible.
Despite the less-than-ideal weather, one Chinese uncle braved the heat and haze to voluntarily arrange slippers at a mosque in Buangkok.
When approached by a mosque goer, the selfless uncle explained it “looks neater” this way, and added that he would do this once or twice a week as he stays near the place of worship.
Read the full article here.
October — SBS driver helps extinguish lorry fire
Bus drivers don’t just ferry people between places, they can also be superheroes who save the day.
On 3 Oct, Ms Thian was presented with 2 awards from the Singapore Road Safety Council and SCDF for stopping her bus to help extinguish a fire on a truck.
Her valiant efforts were captured on video which has since been shared widely on social media.
When asked to summarise the incident, Ms Thian said that the lorry driver “looked helpless” and felt she was merely “doing what anyone would have done in the situation”.
Image courtesy of SBS Transit
Read the full article here.
November — S’poreans raised $150,000 for crane accident victim’s family
On 7 Nov, a crane accident at a Novena worksite claimed the life of a 28-year-old Indian migrant worker, Mr Velmurugan, leaving behind his wife and an unborn child.
Mr Velmurugan’s passing was no doubt tragic. But the incident soon turned into an opportunity for Singaporeans to rally together to help out his family.
ItsRainingRaincoats, an initiative that aims to spread compassion towards migrant workers, created a fundraiser to aid his family and received over $150,000 from generous donors.
Read the full article here.
December — man cooks hot meal for stray dogs
December was arguably the coldest month of the year by a mile, mostly owing to the frequent thunderstorms.
While most of us snuggled comfortably underneath our blankets, Mr Lau from Ipoh took it upon himself to cook meals for stray dogs so they too can enjoy the comforts of having a hot meal in their bellies.
Image courtesy of Mr Lau
When interviewed by MS News, the kind man shared that he’d do this on normal nights too, and would feed packs of up to 50 dogs on some days.
Image courtesy of Mr Lau
Read the full article here.
Are there other wholesome stories in 2019?
With 2019 drawing to an end in the coming days, we hope our mini compilation of heartwarming stories has convinced you to look back fondly on the past 360+ days.
Were there other wholesome and heartwarming stories this year that we missed? Share them in the comments below.
Featured image adapted from Facebook, Facebook, Facebook, and Facebook.
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