Relationships

In trying to be a friend, I let myself be emotionally manipulated

I grew up with love stories. When I was younger, it was about how true love made a mermaid abandon her home for a prince.  When I was older, it was the Korean dramas which showed how true love...

Faith

I would have left this world if not for a friend

Since young, I hated looking at myself in the mirror because of how ugly I thought I was. I wouldn’t even take pictures with anyone. It was suffocating, living with this fear of mirrors and...

Faith

You’re never too far gone

Some time ago, I sat in a conflict resolution meeting with some of my cell members. Simply put, the conflict was caused by mistakes I had made. There was a lot of unease going into that meeting as I...

Relationships

How I forgave my dad for having an extramarital affair

I grew up in a Christian family. We attended Church every Sunday, my parents taught me to pray and they read the Bible to me. Everything was smooth-sailing – until my parents got into a fight that...

Relationships

Why was I born into a dysfunctional family?

I’ve been a straight “A” student all my life. I constantly topped my cohort – and was Head Prefect to boot! But while my life seemed perfect on the surface, it was far from that...

Culture

I gave my body away for love

I have always struggled with self-worth since young. Being overweight for a large portion of my life and having to endure nasty name calling made for a difficult time growing up. I looked for...

Relationships

Look in the mirror before you look for love

I’m in that life stage where everyone around me is taking turns to walk down the aisle. Meanwhile the only aisle I’ll be walking down anytime soon is the supermarket aisle. I’m not bitter...

Relationships

April 25, 2015: The day I lost my entire family in the Nepal earthquake

My family was the most important thing in the world to me. My parents were from Nepal, but my brother and I were raised in Singapore. Mum and Dad were great influences in my life; my mother taught...

Relationships

Don’t just be a nice person

“Why would I do that for someone at my own cost?” Suppose such a thought filled your mind one day: “What if I wrote a bunch of encouraging messages and gave it out to strangers?” Or you...