Kindred Spirit, Heart to Heart
How are you guys doing? I hope you are all doing well. I’m sorry that it’s been a while I haven’t seen a lot of you; I’ve been quite busy lately. I have a lot of thoughts to share. Where should I start?
Before yesterday, it was the funeral of my friend. I’ve been visiting him at the hospital. I’ve learned to get my best smile in front of him. He left us on the Monday of last week. Nevertheless, there are some things that reassure me. Although he has physically left us, I believe that he will continue to be there to support us.
In order to organize the memorial ceremony, a group of young adults (including me) decided to assemble and lift the burden off the shoulders of the parents. It was a really big rush; we had around 3-4 days to prepare everything. We all divided the tasks, but of course we all helped each other out. I was responsible for the music; I had to select pieces, and I practiced piano like mad during the evenings before. I also helped out the translations-we had to translate into French the speeches and last words that were in Chinese.
Even the night before the ceremony, we were still forwarding each other stuff to proofread and double-check at 2 a.m. Everyone gave their best, and everyone’s efforts really touched and rekindled my heart.
Through recent events, I have met new faces, and got to know better old faces that I didn’t bother to know better before. Even after the ceremony, I opened my e-mail, and there were a dozen of e-mails full of gratitude and motivation from everyone to everyone. I added my message into it too. And we agreed to continue to deepen our bond. I have had new realizations through everyone’s cooperation and inspiration. It was truly heartwarming.
This was one of my first deep impressions on the fragility of life. He reminded me to not wait until things are too late, and he has motivated me to work harder on things in my life that I have been neglecting. Because of him, I have made a list of the names of the ones I care about. Every night, before I write in my journal, I go through my list, and I stop at each name, and I think of something to be thankful for that person, or something to wish that person.
I am actually leaving for Vancouver in an hour, so I don’t know if I’ll have the time to express all that’s in my mind. I really look forward to the vacation (my first real vacation ever since summer vacation started!) ^^
I was finding how it was funny how things in my life were planned out, as if they were stages to adulthood. First separation, now death, and I am about to encounter birth. I feel as if I am learning to know what is life once again.
I was talking on the phone with Ms Lopes yesterday, and she said she feels that she’s re-living all her youth with us again.
I also finally finished cleaning my room. I discovered some things that I have long forgotten about. I rediscovered some self-reflections I wrote long ago, some feelings of some experiences I went through, and how I felt I was growing through some of them. I was so surprised at what I wrote. I thought I was more selfish, less mature back then.
I feel as if I am rediscovering myself again.
I wrote a list of my 10 biggest wishes in summer 2006, which was the summer of secondary 4. I was already thinking in the back of my mind “they’re probably some selfish ones”. But when I read through them, none of them were truly selfish. Perhaps I tend to underestimate myself, my potential.
I read through some cards people wrote for me. There was one that especially touched me and made me cry. I had forgotten about this card. You first need to know that my family doesn’t really have the tradition of celebrating birthdays. The most we do is probably eat cake together.
But I found this card written for my 15th birthday by my family and those close to my family.
It was a simple card, and not a lot was written on it. But my sister wrote to me: “Happy birthday Sis! You’ve grown up into a girl girl~ I’m proud of you.”
For a person like me who grew up in a family that is not used to such words, hot tears came immediately to my eyes. Perhaps we may not often our love openly, we still truly care about one another.
I found some stuff people wrote for me a few years ago. We had this sharing exercise, and we had to write each other’s qualities. There was someone who wrote a list of my qualities in Chinese:“Yi-Ching: happy to help others, serious, hard worker, sincere, responsible, independent, willing to share with others, thinks for others, knows many languages, mature, tranquil, easy to get along with, is a walking translation machine, has nice calligraphy, tolerant”
It touched me how someone else who I didn’t really know that much could appreciate me. I laughed at the walking translation machine part. xD And the words also reminded me to believe in myself. =)
I kept this candy wrapper. I was wondering why until I opened it, and I saw that I wrote on it: “Candy that keeps me awake, thank you!”
I found this elementary “graduation” book we wrote in our 6th grade English class. We had to write about which event marked us the most. So I went to read mine because I completely forgot what was it. I was so laughing at myself when I read it.
I wrote about me winning a prize of 25$ from a contest in sixth grade. I described my stresses before the contest, and then I described myself as “one of the happiest persons in the world” afterwards. I was half laughing at my holding onto a thing that seems so little to me now, and half glad at my ability to be tremendously happy with “little” things.
I wrote this French poem in 6th grade, and I drew lilies in my garden. I remember I was really proud of the drawings and that I worked really hard on them. It’s a simple poem:
Mon Lys
Dans mon jardin
rempli de fleurs
il y a
un lys doré
doux comme du coton
beau comme le ciel
qui est le roi
de mon jardin.
Life seemed so simple back then. But I think it’s just my heart that grew more complicated. I tend to think too much. That is why I feel I’m rediscovering that childhood part of me. As if I’m relearning earlier, more innocent ways of experiencing my world, and that I’m recovering something wonderful about myself and my nature. As if I’m back home to that wonderful child I was hiding inside.
I answered this question a while ago: “Si tu pouvais devenir une plante, dessine une plante que tu voudrais devenir et explique pourquoi tu as choisi cette plante.
My answer : J’aimerais devenir un arbre parce que je suis une personne persévérante et l’arbre peut passer à travers les orages et les vents. De plus, j’aime aider les autres et un arbre peut offrir la fraîcheur de son ombre aux autres ou être un abri pour les autres.
J’admire beaucoup l’arbre. Il partage avec les autres, mais après que les voyageurs continuent leur chemin et que ceux qui ont mangé ses fruits continuent dans leurs affaires, il ne reste plus personne de l’accompagner et de penser à lui. Sa seule récompense est son propre développement, et ses branches qui sont devenus plus fortes. Il devient de plus en plus forte après chaque fois qu’il donne. Il sait d’être fort et content par lui-même.
Finally, I read at the end of one of my self-reflections: “Hello future me. What are you doing?”
Before yesterday, it was the funeral of my friend. I’ve been visiting him at the hospital. I’ve learned to get my best smile in front of him. He left us on the Monday of last week. Nevertheless, there are some things that reassure me. Although he has physically left us, I believe that he will continue to be there to support us.
In order to organize the memorial ceremony, a group of young adults (including me) decided to assemble and lift the burden off the shoulders of the parents. It was a really big rush; we had around 3-4 days to prepare everything. We all divided the tasks, but of course we all helped each other out. I was responsible for the music; I had to select pieces, and I practiced piano like mad during the evenings before. I also helped out the translations-we had to translate into French the speeches and last words that were in Chinese.
Even the night before the ceremony, we were still forwarding each other stuff to proofread and double-check at 2 a.m. Everyone gave their best, and everyone’s efforts really touched and rekindled my heart.
Through recent events, I have met new faces, and got to know better old faces that I didn’t bother to know better before. Even after the ceremony, I opened my e-mail, and there were a dozen of e-mails full of gratitude and motivation from everyone to everyone. I added my message into it too. And we agreed to continue to deepen our bond. I have had new realizations through everyone’s cooperation and inspiration. It was truly heartwarming.
This was one of my first deep impressions on the fragility of life. He reminded me to not wait until things are too late, and he has motivated me to work harder on things in my life that I have been neglecting. Because of him, I have made a list of the names of the ones I care about. Every night, before I write in my journal, I go through my list, and I stop at each name, and I think of something to be thankful for that person, or something to wish that person.
I am actually leaving for Vancouver in an hour, so I don’t know if I’ll have the time to express all that’s in my mind. I really look forward to the vacation (my first real vacation ever since summer vacation started!) ^^
I was finding how it was funny how things in my life were planned out, as if they were stages to adulthood. First separation, now death, and I am about to encounter birth. I feel as if I am learning to know what is life once again.
I was talking on the phone with Ms Lopes yesterday, and she said she feels that she’s re-living all her youth with us again.
I also finally finished cleaning my room. I discovered some things that I have long forgotten about. I rediscovered some self-reflections I wrote long ago, some feelings of some experiences I went through, and how I felt I was growing through some of them. I was so surprised at what I wrote. I thought I was more selfish, less mature back then.
I feel as if I am rediscovering myself again.
I wrote a list of my 10 biggest wishes in summer 2006, which was the summer of secondary 4. I was already thinking in the back of my mind “they’re probably some selfish ones”. But when I read through them, none of them were truly selfish. Perhaps I tend to underestimate myself, my potential.
I read through some cards people wrote for me. There was one that especially touched me and made me cry. I had forgotten about this card. You first need to know that my family doesn’t really have the tradition of celebrating birthdays. The most we do is probably eat cake together.
But I found this card written for my 15th birthday by my family and those close to my family.
It was a simple card, and not a lot was written on it. But my sister wrote to me: “Happy birthday Sis! You’ve grown up into a girl girl~ I’m proud of you.”
For a person like me who grew up in a family that is not used to such words, hot tears came immediately to my eyes. Perhaps we may not often our love openly, we still truly care about one another.
I found some stuff people wrote for me a few years ago. We had this sharing exercise, and we had to write each other’s qualities. There was someone who wrote a list of my qualities in Chinese:“Yi-Ching: happy to help others, serious, hard worker, sincere, responsible, independent, willing to share with others, thinks for others, knows many languages, mature, tranquil, easy to get along with, is a walking translation machine, has nice calligraphy, tolerant”
It touched me how someone else who I didn’t really know that much could appreciate me. I laughed at the walking translation machine part. xD And the words also reminded me to believe in myself. =)
I kept this candy wrapper. I was wondering why until I opened it, and I saw that I wrote on it: “Candy that keeps me awake, thank you!”
I found this elementary “graduation” book we wrote in our 6th grade English class. We had to write about which event marked us the most. So I went to read mine because I completely forgot what was it. I was so laughing at myself when I read it.
I wrote about me winning a prize of 25$ from a contest in sixth grade. I described my stresses before the contest, and then I described myself as “one of the happiest persons in the world” afterwards. I was half laughing at my holding onto a thing that seems so little to me now, and half glad at my ability to be tremendously happy with “little” things.
I wrote this French poem in 6th grade, and I drew lilies in my garden. I remember I was really proud of the drawings and that I worked really hard on them. It’s a simple poem:
Mon Lys
Dans mon jardin
rempli de fleurs
il y a
un lys doré
doux comme du coton
beau comme le ciel
qui est le roi
de mon jardin.
Life seemed so simple back then. But I think it’s just my heart that grew more complicated. I tend to think too much. That is why I feel I’m rediscovering that childhood part of me. As if I’m relearning earlier, more innocent ways of experiencing my world, and that I’m recovering something wonderful about myself and my nature. As if I’m back home to that wonderful child I was hiding inside.
I answered this question a while ago: “Si tu pouvais devenir une plante, dessine une plante que tu voudrais devenir et explique pourquoi tu as choisi cette plante.
My answer : J’aimerais devenir un arbre parce que je suis une personne persévérante et l’arbre peut passer à travers les orages et les vents. De plus, j’aime aider les autres et un arbre peut offrir la fraîcheur de son ombre aux autres ou être un abri pour les autres.
J’admire beaucoup l’arbre. Il partage avec les autres, mais après que les voyageurs continuent leur chemin et que ceux qui ont mangé ses fruits continuent dans leurs affaires, il ne reste plus personne de l’accompagner et de penser à lui. Sa seule récompense est son propre développement, et ses branches qui sont devenus plus fortes. Il devient de plus en plus forte après chaque fois qu’il donne. Il sait d’être fort et content par lui-même.
Finally, I read at the end of one of my self-reflections: “Hello future me. What are you doing?”