Principal's Message
Being old is hard.
Wretched countenance, dirty clothes, seated on a rusty rickety wheelchair with multiple dirty plastic bags tied to the back of the wheelchair. Hair unkempt. Bare feet resting on the pedestal of the wheelchair. Fingers large but deformed – suffering from arthritis? She is quite big in size. Squeezed tightly into a small wheelchair.
I walked up from the car park in basement 2 of OG Albert, heading for a building called Fu Lu Shou Complex. I have never been there; but because I had to visit a bone setter there, I made my first visit.
The moment I stepped onto the sidewalk of OG Albert, the sight of her greeted me. Her eyes quickly shifted away at that instance. I walked on.
Wait. I stopped in my tracks. Does she need any help? Maybe a cup of coffee? Maybe she needs assistance of some sort? She’s alone? But she did not seem very friendly.
I swiftly turned and walked back to her.
Aunty. Why are you seated here alone? Do you need any help? Can I get you something to eat or drink?
No, no, no was her reply in Mandarin. Then…You help me? I want to drink water.
I buy you coffee?
No, no, no. Take out my water bottle. Behind.
I searched for it. Found a water bottle. It looked dirty and the water looked murky. There was little water in it. I helped her with opening the badly stained and scratched lid; and she finished the last bit of it.
Thank you, she said.
Do you need any other help?
No, no, no.
Ok, but I could not leave her there looking lost. I walked back to my car to see if I had a bit of money to pass to her. I no longer carry cash nor an ATM card. It’s all in my phone. I found a $50 and a $10. I rushed back to her; she was still in the exact same spot. I told her that the money was for her tea.
No, no, no. My husband is there. He will scold me. She pointed him out to me. Can you push me there? Ah, she’s got her husband here as well!
I pushed her over to where her equally elderly husband was sitting – on a narrow ledge of OG Albert. His head was hanging down, as if sleeping; but he was not. He seemed to be contemplating on something.
His attention turned to us. I tried to pass him the little I had.
No, no no. The same refrain.
Okay, maybe they don’t need it. Maybe they don’t want it.
Then she said this…
Being old is hard.
I knew there was nothing more I could do. I bade them goodbye; walking away was hard and her words of pain rang in my ears. It certainly does look hard.
Both look wretched and lonely. Where are their kids?
Both look in need of a bath. Where is their home?
Both look sad. Where is their happiness?
Parents and anyone reading this…in case you are wondering why I am recounting this encounter in a Principal’s page of a school website, I have been pondering. We have more than 1200 girls in Marymount Convent School, close to 1300. If we grow our girls well to be sensitive to the needs of others; if we grow our girls well to be kind and compassionate; if we grow our girls well to be other-centred, can you imagine the difference they can make to the many needy and lonely who may just need a little kindness?
No, it is not ‘If’. It is…
When we grow our girls well to be sensitive to the needs of others;
When we grow our girls well to be kind and compassionate; and
When we grow our girls well to be other-centred…
And when they each make a difference to just one other person, more than 1200 people will be touched and blessed!
Yes, 2024 saw our P6 girls do very well for PSLE, one of the best results over the last 3-4 years. Their stellar results amaze me; and I am grateful to God for blessing us with very good PSLE results. But I pray also that God will bless our girls with opportunities to reach out to someone in need, someone lonely, someone poor…no need to be in OG Albert…wherever they may be, including their loved ones at home! That’s my hope and my dream for our girls this 2025!
Together, let us make the coming year one of faith, hope and love
in the spirit of our Good Shepherd Mission.
Have a blessed year ahead!
Miss Minnie Cheong