Life is like a swinging pendulum, full of highs and lows. But have you wondered, without the lows, would your highs still be that joyous, that precious and that unforgettable? I recalled my first time I saw snow. Since I was born and bred in a sub-tropical region, we never get snow in Hong Kong. When I was 20, it was the first time ever that I travelled to Canada that I saw snow for the first time. It was just, speechlessly, amazing. I almost could use no words to describe how beautiful it was. Certainly, it was cold to death but at the same time, the snow was swirling like fallen angels dancing in the background, or like little angels flickering under the blazing sun.
My six-month stay in Canada have become the best time I ever had in my life. When I started working and looked back on my old maiden days, I have realised how time flies and is so ruthlessly cruel that it flies by so quickly. Those were the days, and those were the memories. And can't believe that, after so many years, I am still yearning to go back to these days where all I could feel was pure joy and they became the worry-less days of my life.
Lyrics of Those Were The Days (1968) - Mary Hopkin:
Once upon a time there was a tavern
Where we used to raise a glass or two
Remember how we laughed away the hours
And dreamed of all the great things we would do
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way. La la la la...
Just tonight I stood before the tavern
Nothing seemed the way it used to be
In the glass I saw a strange reflection, was that lonely woman really me
If you are interested to find out more what inspired me to write this chapter, go to listen to this song by Mary Hopkin (1968). It was so beautifully sung and it reminds me of how youth is such a collection of memorable days for everyone to look back on, because those were the days when we were ruthless and fought for our dreams, those were the days when we were pure at hearts and those were the days when we were much more simple and naive. Adulting on the other hand does not seem that rosy, though.
But life is not always about what we gained in the end. It is always about the process of growth and withering, the process of experiencing different emotions and the process of going through tons of ups and downs. Often times, when we were in times of distress, all we looked at was that problem we have been going through i.e. how it is bothering us and how useless it was making us feel, and we tend to maximise the severity of the problem and blame the problem on ourselves. But when we look back we would realise that, it was actually just a tiny, tiny setback in our lives and there is nothing for us to freak about.
Life isn't always linear, it is a circle where we keep making the same mistakes and keep going back to the same problems. But, it never make us quit and stop trying, rather it makes us stronger and wiser.
And don't always look back in the past! Life is about the present. So let me ask you a question: do you feel happy now?
YOU ARE READING
Teen Life Stories you should know about Growing Up
Non-FictionThis is a relaxing read to learn about a teenage girl growing up in Hong Kong. The challenges she faced, travel moments she experienced and what life lessons she has learnt growing up in this metropolitan city of 7 million people. This will be a goo...
