Night Reflections: A Retreating Life – That Year's Birthday
During my youth, my mother taught me many life lessons, and the only ones I can recall are 'integrity' and 'gratitude.' Speaking the truth is important, but 'gratitude' was taught to me through her actions – always remembering those who 'did good for you.' Like a handful of millet when the yellow leaves were about to join, like a helping hand in muddy ground.
Gratitude, in a sense, is a philosophy of the weak, a retreat philosophy. It's about looking at things from the perspective of 'seeking help' and 'being helped.'
When young, people always want to expand and advance, going forward without stopping. But later, due to many reasons, they encountered difficulties and setbacks. Fortunately, friends helped them, giving them another chance to move forward. At critical moments, it's important to adjust, to stop and think, to step back and observe, even to retreat a few steps, to consolidate their position, to rethink, to redefine their position, and to plan again and start anew. In this process, you must learn 'gratitude,' like the saying by the ancients, 'a meal is worth a thousand pieces of gold in return.' Those who know how to repay kindness understand self-reflection, self-punishment, and self-encouragement, and therefore are more likely to gain motivation for progress. For example, a person's life has only a few dozens of birthdays, and the number of them that you can actually spend time with, and with whom you can celebrate your birthday, are all people who care about you. Shouldn't we remember them?
Ten years ago, one of my sincere friends left his job. We met at a restaurant to say goodbye, and I still remember the setting sun, the pagoda in the distance, the light of the lanterns and the moon, a few small dishes, and we drank a lot of beer until the restaurant closed. Since then, we've been separated for ten years, but the initial scene is still in my mind, constantly reminding me to reflect. In the year of Jinshi, I encountered some uncomfortable people and events, and after sighing, I only used warm and bright days to persuade and comfort myself. Fortunately, after a separation and a widening of perspectives, things quickly calmed down. I realized that there will always be new directions and new frontiers in this world – those that are even more exciting.
It's easy to keep moving forward and constantly advance. But it's much harder to learn to maneuver, to learn gratitude, and to be forgiving. No one is eternal, and lowering yourself to do what you want is truly living life.
