Grateful 10 Jun: Good Morning!

My morning started off really well, thanks to people and great experiences. On this note, let me give thanks for: 

• Goooood morning! I woke up to a message from D: "Goooood morning!", it read. And through the morning, I also received quite a few similar messages from others, both in WhatsApp groups as well as from individuals. Frankly, I am not a fan of such “good morning” messages, and used to be irked by them - especially those posted by people I do not know in group chats, or for that matter by cousins who simply forward such messages daily. But these days, I simply mute the groups and clear the messages. Nonetheless, I must acknowledge that it is still nice and heartwarming to receive such messages from friends. To these friends, I am grateful for their greetings. It is quite endearing. 

• Hello Uncle. I had my kopi-o-kosong at my usual coffee shop in Simei and then headed off for my morning walk. The route took me along covered walkways by the roadside and, before long, I saw the usual cleaner uncle dutifully clearing fallen leaves and the occasional piece of rubbish. I had seen him many times before. This time, I nodded in acknowledgement as I approached him. He cheerfully greeted me, “Hello Uncle!” Haha… an uncle greeting me “uncle”. I was amused by his choice of address and grateful for this simple touchpoint. 

• Sorry ah. I decided to walk the same route this evening because I wanted to see the progress of the MRT extension. As I approached the worksite, I noticed excavation works in progress, with an excavator blocking the walking path. I was about to make a detour when some foreign workers signalled for me to continue walking towards them. As I approached, they stopped the excavation works, smiled at me one by one, and one of them said, “Good morning, sorry ah…” accompanied by a side-to-side head wobble - a very Indian form of greeting and courteous acknowledgement. It was such a heartwarming experience. Much as I have occasionally had grouses about differences in social norms, I must give credit where it is due. They were genuinely kind and courteous. I returned their smiles by clasping my hands in a gesture of respect and acknowledgement, a form of courtesy within Indian culture as well, and smiled as I walked on. 

I must say that today started off really well for me. From receiving a simple “Good morning” message, to the cleaner uncle’s greeting, to the kindness shown by the foreign workers, each interaction added a little warmth to the day. It reminded me that life need not always be measured by material or tangible outcomes. Sometimes, simple moments of human connection - a message, a greeting, or a kind word - can make all the difference.