THIRD JOURNAL

This journal is a memorial and also a stimulation for me.
Cherish what you have.
It was on 26, September, 2007, a piece of sad and startling news was told—my best friend’s father died of cancer at the age of 45. The God took away the life of a nice person without mercy. My sorry for his death was immeasurable. However, from the last stage of his life, I learned to be resolute and cherish time, from which I greatly benefited.
Tracing back to the Chinese New Year in 2007, when tens of thousands of households lighted up lights for family reunions, my best friend’s father was suffering form the torment of illness by himself, receiving the judgment of the Death. As a tough man, he decided to bear all the hardship on his own. He cheated his own daughter that he sickened with normal tumors because he was not willing to take away the joy of her life and wanted her to live happily forever. From his consideration, I came to realize that the greatness of a father’s love did not require the polish of redundant words and things. Meanwhile, I learned how should a true man lived his life; that was never letting beloved ones shade tears.
However, no truth could be concealed like papers could not wrap up fire. His daughter finally learned the truth. On day in March, my best friend and I went to hospital together to visit her ill father. I was astonished as soon as I got in the hospital room because the atmosphere of the room was warm. Fruits brought by other visitors were orderly arranged on bedside cupboard. A cactus on windowsill faced the sunlight and grew well. It was the exact symbol of vitality. Her father greeted us with ardor and spent strenuous effort to get up from the bed to talk to us, to look at us with a smile. Although the torment of illness had made him wan, sallow and emaciated, the way he talked, his facial expressions and behaviors did not reveal any clues to the fact that his life would come to the end soon. I thought that was what a truly tough man would behave. He taught us to cherish life and time and not to regret at the last moment of life. He said that people could feel sorrow but not have regret in their lives. Our conversation lasted for a long time, which greatly benefited me. His plain words were rich in the true significance and philosophy of life.
Eventually, I saw my best friend’s father off at his last journey of life. He lay in the cold coffin and left us forever. Whenever meeting with setbacks in life, I would think of his toughness at his extremity of his life. When I dawdled, I would remember his words—we were not eligible to waste the short life and precious time. His great image would surely exist in my mind because his teaching would be firmly stamped into my heart.