Profiles in Resilience
Reflections in the Time of Covid-19
Kua Ee Heok | Abdullah Tarmugi
Editors
Eileen Bygrave | Vincent Chong | Jeannete Gan | Han Thong Kwang | Anne Wong Holloway | David Hong | Hong Hai | Johnson Lau | Lim Soo Ping | Ling Sing Lin | Ng Boon Yew | Soo Eng Hiong | Amos Tan | Tan Choon Huat | Tan Yong Soon | Wee Geok Hua
Contributors
Write Editions
Publisher
“I find this book inspiring because many of the writers were born very poor, (yet) they rise to the top of their vocations… I am struck by the good values which they all uphold – integrity, compassion and optimism.“
Tommy Koh
Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore
In his foreword
This book is a compilation of essays written by 20 people in their sixties and seventies. The chapters reflect their experiences, both the ups and lows of their lives. It tells a story of resilience, how they manage to overcome struggles to find success in their respective fields, through sheer diligence, perseverance, and dare. They have been senior civil servants, corporate leaders, university professors, and even a top motor racer and fashionista.
The 20 contributors to this book are participants of the Nature Mindful Awareness Study (NaMAS), a study led by Professor Kua Ee Heok. It is a part of a nationwide community dementia and depression, prevention project called Age Well Everyday (AWE). A flagship programme of Mind Science Centre, AWE aims to empower seniors to take charge of their ageing through active ageing interventions.
For the NaMAS study, the participants were enlisted to meet every Saturday morning, for a mindful walk at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Following the walk, they were invited for coffee and fellowship.
Profiles in Resilience has been inspired by the crisis wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic. The book further delves into how mental health is as important as physical health and tells us to love nature. Findings from NaMAS supports past research done in Japan and the United States, that walking in the forest or among trees, will bring physical, mental, and social benefits.
In the time of Covid-19, these seniors did not just sit at home idly. There was a sense of altruism as they volunteered to help each other and especially those who lived alone. They also formed a virtual choir to sing and thank our embattled frontline healthcare workers. Their actions helped debunk the ageist view of indifferent seniors with no moral purpose or interest in voluntarism.
Tough times don’t last, but tough people do!
This book does not just tell a story, it is a piece of history, of how our pioneer generation persevere, strive, and help shape Singapore into the first world country we all know today.