by Ilana R.
Once long ago, there lived a girl who was very annoyed at her
mother. Her name was Lilun. She lived in a very small house in
a very large city. Lilun was a small child with dark, long black
hair. Her mother was always worried about Lilun because she was
a sickly child. Lilun's mother annoyed her about everything, especially
art. Art is a big value, and Lilun liked doing it. She didn't
like her mother bugging her to paint and write poetry. Also Lilun
didn't have any cares about anything.
One day, Lilun was walking in the park with her best friend Hanchung.
She told Hanchung how miserable she was. Then to make things worse,
Lilun's mother comes running, at a very quick pace, toward her
screaming. Her mother yelled " Lilun, if you don't bring
your jacket out with you, you can't go out of the house".
As soon as her mother started walking back, at a very slow pace
because she was out of breath, Lilun started complaining to Hanchung.
" Why does my mother always bother me? Does she hate me?
Even though I'm supposed to respect my elders how can I when they
are bugging me." Hanchung sighed and then replied "
Your mother only loves you. She is trying to protect you. Listen
to this saying: To understand your parents love you must raise
children yourself." Lilun thought about it but she still
could not understand what that had to do with her.
Many years later Lilun was talking with her six-year-old daughter,
while at the dinner table eating rice. Robin (Lilun's daughter)
was saying how much Lilun annoys her. Lilun was telling Robin
that she only cared about Robin and she was trying to make Robin
happy. Lilun remembered the proverb Hanchung had said, "To
understand your parents love you must raise children yourself."
Lilun thought of how her Gon gong, (which means grandfather in
Chinese) had annoyed her mother and how her mother had annoyed
her. This proverb seems like an example of Yin and Yang. When
your parents remind you of thing it can be very annoying but it's
also good for you. You need people to remind you of things because
you might not remember. You need Yin and Yang to live in harmony.
Now there are new generations that go through the same long cycle.
But many people don't remember this proverb. So you must!
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