This short story was written for the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals “Good People, Good Deeds: English Writing Competition 2023-24. This year’s theme was “Good People, Good Deeds”. Students wrote stories about kindness, helping strangers and/or friends.

You might be struggling with your life in many aspects, but being down isn’t helpful, the only way to improve your situation is by facing it. I’ve been suffering from a mental illness for a while now. It is painful, in fact, it puts my life at a halt, preventing me from doing daily necessities, duties …

But although it is tough, I have to overcome it, even a little step can help. When every effort is futile, you need to remember to not fret about the past, as you cannot change it.

I was fine in academics before I was ill ,I even got a hundred in maths but it is all of the past. Right now, I can’t achieve anything I did before.

I have always been a lazy person, even skipping school, just so that I could sleep longer. I can sleep for twelve hours, sometimes even fourteen hours non stop, until this year in Primary 6. I woke up from my procrastination and started putting in time. Without many teachers' efforts, I would have been utterly blinded by the past, now let me explain how I improved.

I was eleven at the time, still covered in darkness, trying to help myself in an endless pit. Two social workers helped me out by encouraging me to climb out. One day, I was walking in a hallway sulking, complaining about everything that happened to myself repeating hatred in my head. After I arrived in the classroom, I scowled at heaven and earth screaming, “I HATE LIFE.”

Out of nowhere, Claire, a caring, charming and positive classmate reached over my desk trying to encourage me, and soon she was frustrated asking me, “Why? Why? Why are you down? You know, this won't improve anything.”

I shoved her away. She asked me again, and I shoved her away again, this time a little harder. But she persisted, again and again, failure after failure she kept on, slowly lowering a ladder in this pit, in this never ending pit.

Finally, it reached me. So for once, I opened my heart, and saw there was a light, a shining light. I reached the top! I was much better. Everyday she sent affection to me, caring about me. I had been slowly climbing up, and falling, I almost gave up, and if it wasn't for Claire, I would have been stuck like this forever. Her radiant light of positivity inspired me profusely and made me a better person.

I would like to thank her, even though she is in England now, and I might not meet her again. She was a good friend to everyone. I'm really thankful for everything she’s done, and if you know her, you’ll understand her kindness.

A Shining Light (TWGH 2023-24)