SINGAPORE: A woman took to social media after witnessing “something that left a heavy pit” in her heart. She had seen an elderly couple’s difficulties with boarding a bus without receiving any help from their adult son.
“This isn’t just sad — it’s a wake-up call,” she wrote in a post on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on Wednesday (Oct 22).
In her post, she wrote that an elderly woman had been in a wheelchair, which her husband had “barely” managed to push aboard the bus.
“Shockingly, their son, a grown man, had already boarded, taken a seat, and watched the entire scene unfold without lifting a finger. Worse still, he had been shouting at them just moments earlier for their confusion about how to board,” she wrote, calling it ironic for parents in Singapore to invest large amounts of money to give their children a good education in order for them to get a “a head start in life… only to raise adults with brains but no empathy.”
“In our fast-paced society, where grades and achievements are often prized above all else, we must ask ourselves: are we raising children to be good people, or just good performers?” she added.
The post author also urged parents to “Teach values. Model kindness. Nurture empathy. Because at the end of the day, success means nothing if you’ve forgotten how to be human — especially to the very people who gave you everything.”
Appearing to have struck a chord with many Facebook users, her post has since been widely shared.
While sympathetic to the elderly couple, some commenters have suggested, however, that there could be more to the couple’s story than meets the eye. Some Facebook users wrote that it is possible that the son is a special needs adult, whose challenges may not be visible to casual observers.
Others, meanwhile, said they were moved by what the post author had written.
“I felt a lump in my throat reading this. It’s painful to see such a scene, yet sometimes, what looks like indifference could also be deep exhaustion.
Caregiving, especially when prolonged, can drain one’s patience and spirit. It’s a reminder that empathy must extend not only to our elderly but also to those who shoulder their daily care. Support, understanding, and community make all the difference,” one wrote.
“Thank you for sharing this. Sigh… It is already very hard to grow old in Singapore… Breaks my heart. But I am still glad they have each other to rely on,” added another.
“It’s not easy for adult children to understand their elderly parents. Must educate yourself on how to get along with them and them too with their adult children,” a commenter chimed in.
The Independent Singapore has reached out to the post author for further comments or updates. /TISG
Read also: Singaporeans praise ‘old timer’ bus captain for helping elderly auntie with her wheelchair
