Today was an emotional day for me. I made my way down to the Istana during lunch to pay my last respects to Dr. Wee Kim Wee. Earlier in the morning, I was tearing uncontrollably as I read the papers and thought about him. For some unexplainable reason, I feel this connection with him. I think that's the feeling he gave a lot of Singaporeans through his fatherly ways. He was the first President that I ever knew and no one has been able to fill his shoes since. I still remember thinking not too long ago, that he was still alive and how happy I was that he was still going strong.

I stood in the queue for one and a half hours, under the sweltering heat, in my black blouse and black jacket. But neither the heat nor discomfort could have dragged me away from seeing my President for the last time. It was just such a pity that the first time I set foot into the Istana had to be under such circumstances. And the first time I saw my favourite President in person, he couldn't even see me.

I never took the opportunity to tell him how much he had touched me, how his gentle ways won me over, little as I was. How I always loved to see him smile and wave at the National Day Parade. I never had the privilege of shaking his hand, as many ordinary citizens have. Even my mother has done that. There's a picture of her and Dr. Wee on stage as he presented her with a long service award.

My heart sank the day I heard the news that Dr. Wee had passed on. It hasn't quite recovered yet. The Dr. Wee I saw in the coffin looked nothing like the one on TV and in the newspapers. The Dr. Wee I saw looked frail and worn. His eyes, though closed, were sunken in. My heart broke when I saw him. But I will always remember him. Always always.

To the Wee family, thank you for sharing your husband and father with us. He was an exceptional man. I will miss him.

Goodbye, Mr President.