STORIES OF ENDURING LOVE (I)
When Love at First Sight Leads to 40 Years of Marriage
Falling in love may only require a split second, as the romantic story of LB seniors Mr David Goh and Mdm Christina Chua shows, but love that endures takes years of forbearance and mutual understanding.
David and Christina first met in 1978 under the most dramatic of circumstances. “(David) saved my life,” Christina recounted. “I was out shopping one day, and while crossing the road I did not notice a motorbike speeding towards me. David happened to be just by my side, and he quickly pulled me back in the nick of time!”
That moment literally sparked a love at first sight for the pair, who then exchanged phone numbers on the spot. Within a matter of days, they started going out for meals, movies and ice-skating. Strangers turned into friends, and their relationship blossomed. After dating for six years, they got married in 1984.
Through their 40 years of marriage, David and Christina have had their fair share of ups and downs. Without delving into details, David said, “My wife is very nice, but she also suffered a lot.” While the couple are without children, they nevertheless lead a happy and fulfilled married life today, holding fast to their lifelong commitment to take good care of each other.
On 7 February 2024, David and Christina celebrated their love alongside 10 other senior couples at LB AAC @ Ghim Moh 18, reaffirming the vows they once made to each other. The sweet couple even brought with them a pair of adorable soft toys that they had kept from their wedding day four decades ago, bearing testament to their marriage that has stood, and continues to stand the test of time.
Walking Hand in Hand for 60 Years
LB seniors Mr Loke Yu Tong, 80, and Mdm Wu So Har, 79, first came to know each other in 1961 while they were still in their teens. Mdm Wu had been working in her brother-in-law’s small factory which manufactured uniforms for the British Army, and Mr Loke was later hired as an employee there, taking clothing measurements for the military personnel.
Starting out as colleagues and friends, it wasn’t exactly instant attraction for them. In fact, Mdm Wu had even tried to play matchmaker, introducing her friend to Mr Loke! “But he told me he didn’t like her,” Mdm Wu chuckled.
Mr Loke recalled, “I didn’t have any special feelings for (Mdm Wu) initially. My first impression was that she was very gentle and treated others very well. As the surroundings of the factory were rather tranquil, I would go out with her for walks and also play badminton together with her, and from there something started to develop!”
Today, Mr Loke and Mdm Wu are well settled in Ghim Moh for the past 50 years, but those hard times in their early years of marriage have always served as a reminder for Mr Loke as to how his wife had stood by him through trials and tribulations, allowing him to compromise and give consideration to her whenever disagreements may occur.
With two children and four grandchildren, they enjoy the warmth of family, while also keeping an active lifestyle, travelling overseas often, meeting up with friends around the neighbourhood, and also participating in various healthy ageing programmes as members of LB AAC @ Ghim Moh 18.
As they celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2024, we wish Mr Loke and Mdm Wu many more years of love and bliss to come!
We hope that these stories would inspire you to reach out and touch the lives of others.
If you would like to share your thoughts on these stories, please feel free to email us at cp@lb.org.sgBe A Volunteer
Refer a Senior
If you know of seniors who could use our services, you can help by referring them to us.
Click here to find out more.