In Banting, Malaysia, a 35-year-old man said something many people don’t dare say even in a whisper.
His name is Lokman Sumadi. And when he spoke about the woman he was going to marry, he didn’t list her virtues or promise a life without problems. He simply said: “She is perfect, and I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of her”.
Taking care of her. That was the word he chose.
The story, told in a New Straits Times video in August 2024, revolves around an idea almost no one says aloud: he didn’t need a partner who was always healthy. What he was looking for was someone to stay with, even when the days were difficult.
Because almost all of us dream of someone who never fails, never tires, and never needs too much from us. He saw things differently. He understood that love isn’t proven when everything is going well, but when you have to hold the hand of the person you love.
And it didn’t stop him. Not what might come, nor what people might say. He married her. Until April 2025, they lived happily, full of love. Sadly, Nor Azurah could no longer bear the illness.
Sometimes love isn’t seen in flowers or grand promises. It’s seen in someone who says “I want to take care of you” and means it.
Because loving someone who is healthy is easy. Choosing them wholly, with everything that comes with them, is something else.
