By Shukry Rashid
While the rest of Singapore is slowly waking up to a lazy Sunday, I’m out and about at 7am on 8 March 2015 in my running gear at Downtown East to join 700 other runners for the ‘Run For Her 2015’ event. We are running for a special purpose.
Some are running for their mothers for being an inspiration in their lives, while others are doing it for their wives for making sure the house is spick-and-span. Whatever the reason, the event is a way to appreciate the women in our lives, whom we do not thank enough.
For My Mother
It is not easy for me to wake up at 5am for a run, rarer still while my mother sleeps in.
I shouldn’t complain – every weekday, my mother wakes up slightly after 5am to make breakfast for the whole family. So for once in my life, I thought I’d run for her to show that I appreciate all she’s done for me.
Family Affair
It’s 7am, and instead of men running for their mothers and wives, it seems to be more of a family affair.
There were families running together, daughters running for their mothers, granddaughters running for their grandmothers and women running for themselves.
The First Run
The inaugural ‘Run For Her 2015’ was organised by Young SISEU (Singapore Industrial & Services Employees’ Union) and supported by the youth chapters of Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Employees’ Union, Chemical Industries Employees’ Union, Building Construction And Timber Industries Employees’ Union, and United Workers of Electronics & Electrical Industries. I caught up with the organiser of the event, 35-year-old Mr Eric Goh who is also the Chairman of Young SISEU, to find out the reason for the run.
“We do have women in our lives who should be known and not be kept at the back, like housewives. They should be appreciated… It is a simple run. We don’t have to do a very big thing to appreciate the women,” he said.
Showing Appreciation
Mr Junaidi Sardi, 45, ran with his wife and children to acknowledge something many take for granted.
“I ran today to show appreciation to my wife. As a housewife, it’s not easy to look after the children and the house. I know that working at home may be harder than having to work outside,” he said.
Then there was 35-year-old Mr Daniel Lim. He was running for his cancer-survivor mother who was finally cancer-free in November 2014. Diagnosed with stage 3B breast cancer in 2009, he said that he ran for “the love she has for me.”
He shared that his father is suffering from dementia. However, I could feel his sense of achievement on how both he and his family have pulled through together during those tough times.
He said: “It made us realise that a family with strong support and that smiles often, no matter how small this family is, it is one that can overcome challenges.”
He added: “I thank my mother for the love and life that she has given me which gives me the right to live my life the way I want and the way I dare to dream about it.”
Source: NTUC This Week
