Introduction#
How many times can one laugh in a lifetime? When meeting over drinks, one must get drunk.
Visit from Close Friends#
Last week, my girlfriend's childhood friends came to Chengdu to visit her. One is currently studying and doing research in Germany and finally had the chance to come back to China for a while after many years. The other is working at a power company and had to undergo surgery in Shanghai due to an injury sustained while working away from home. During the waiting period for the doctor, he made a special trip to Chengdu to meet with us.
We talked about our respective lives, and after not seeing each other for many years, they stayed up all night, recounting their experiences over the years and reminiscing about past happy memories. We cried together, we laughed together, as if time had not left any traces, and we were back in the days when we were together.
When it comes to the future, their eyes shine with hope. Their futures are not uncertain because they have struggled in their own lives and firmly believe that their future lives will shine brightly.
Interestingly, my childhood friends, whom I have known since elementary school, are also close friends. Although we each have our own careers and are working hard in different cities, the joy of meeting is still the same. It feels like we haven't had enough drinks and our stories are endless. It's just a pity that the time we spent together was too short, and there were so many things we wanted to share with each other.
Bad News#
While I was out having dinner with my girlfriend's childhood friend, I received news that my own grandfather had passed away. I called my childhood friend and could hear him choking up as he said, "Everything happened so suddenly. Just last May Day holiday, I brought my girlfriend home to meet him, and he was fine at that time. And then suddenly..." I didn't know how to comfort him, so I could only tell him to take care of his parents and comfort himself when he gets home. After hanging up the phone, I told my parents about this, and my mom called to ask about the situation and said that she and my dad would go visit him in the evening.
Subtracting from Life#
Life can be cruel at times. Our growth process from childhood to adulthood is a continuous process of absorption. However, when it reaches a certain point, life starts to take away what we have, whether it be material or non-material. However, life is also generous. It takes away some things but always leaves us with something, and it is these things that remain in our lives that are truly precious.