KUCHING: Through the grief of losing her husband, retired Associate Professor Annie Wong believed that God helped her nurture positive virtues such as patience, love, strength and humility.
“God showed me how important it is to show gratitude and be appreciative of people around me and through my grief, He also broadened my perspective on what a happy family should be,” she said.
Wong was sharing her story on losing her husband Sii Chung Huei to the ill-fated AirAsia flight QZ8501 which had crashed into the Java Sea while en route to Singapore from Surabaya on Dec 28, 2014, killing all 162 people on board. Sii was the sole Malaysian passenger on the flight.
“The world is so vast but my entire world consisted of my husband and my children. The shock, pain and grief went on for months,” she said.
During the launch of her charity book ‘On Grief and Hope’ at Boulevard Mall here yesterday, she said the reason that she had written the book with her daughter Samantha Liu was to share their experience on their journey through grief and their road to recovery.
The book focuses on the reflections of Wong and Liu, sharing how they dealt with their grief, pain and denial as well as how they turned to their faith to embrace reality and find purpose in their lives again.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng represented Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian in launching the book.
“This book is written for anyone who is going through grief as a result of losing someone,” Wong said.
“Find your purpose in life,” she urged.
Meanwhile, Pastor Wong Yuk Soo of SIB Bright Star encouraged counsellors to read ‘On Grief and Hope’ in order to enhance their understanding of those they counselled to be able to better assist them.
Wee, in his speech, said that grieving the loss of a loved one was where the healing process began.
“Going forward and enjoying life again does not mean an individual has forgotten about loved ones who have passed on, nor does it mean he or she is no longer missed,” he said.
He said that the grieving process can be long and isolating but it was crucial to accept support rather than grieve alone.
“Talking about it, receiving reassurance, feeling understood and acknowledging the loss will help make the recovery process more complete in the most challenging times,” he said.
Wee expressed his hope that Wong’s book will bring encouragement, hope and inspiration to those with similar experiences.
The price of each book is RM15 and all proceeds from the sales of the charity book will go to the Sarawak Society for Parents of Children with Special Needs (Pibakat) and the Kuching Autistic Association.
