mending

When I declared that I was going to get Mr Bean beancurd after dinner (so my parents can have it for breakfast tomorrow), my Mum said something along this line...

"Wah! You are so filial. You actually bother to walk to get beancurd though you don't eat that stuff."

I thought she was being sarcastic 'coz I had never (or at least, rarely) heard her praise me.

Me: Why the sarcasm?

*aargh, why did I have to say that?*

I watched "Lecture Room - Yu Dan" (highly recommended by JJ) after dinner. There were many interesting points brought up in the show, however, Lecturer Yu was going way too fast for my Chinese (文言文) standard. I guess to fully appreciate the finer pointers in that classic literature works 《论语》, I have to do some homework.

She mentioned about ideal distances between people (family, friends...) as closeness leads to rudeness, not mindful of one's actions and words. *opps*

The classic example was brought up.

A boy who's rather hot-tempered, always flare up at his family. His Dad asked him to hammer a nail in the fence each time he loses it. When he saw the fence full of nails, he felt guilty and was determined to change.

The Dad then told him, for every one day he managed not to lose his temper, he can remove one nail. So, he persevered and eventually had all the nails removed. He was very happy to share with his Dad. The Dad pointed out that the holes caused by the nails still exist though the nails had been removed.

This same theory applies in life. Many thoughtless words or actions caused hurt to people around us. Sometimes, the damage becomes permanent. Since we all know that people do regret and do want to make good.

Just how to not bear grudge against people who left holes on our walls and how to ask for forgiveness? We cannot deny the holes.