Always a Child

Birthday Hong Bao

My mum passed me a red packet for my birthday this year, as usual with many of my previous birthday. I didn't give it much thought，mumbled a Thank You and a quick smile and I got distracted by the boys again.

Recently, I remembered about this red packet that was buried deep in my drawer. I took it out and realised that my mum took effort to get a birthday design red packet and packed in a tidy sum of money (at least to me). Suddenly I felt nostalgic. We were not rich neither were we very poor. In their own ways, my father had given me the best gift - allowing me to take up piano lesson since young and sponsored my lessons till I finished my Grade 8. Back then, every cents count so I really appreciated that. My mum is the most giving person. She forgives readily and is generous with her time, with her bakes, with everything. She tries to balance between my brother's kids and mine, she tries to work things out if we both needed her help at the same time. I don't remember being caned by her perhaps only once for a careless Maths test in school.

Now that I am all grown up and they have aged considerably,I find myself wondering if one day, one of them or both of them is no longer with us, what would be my thought? How would I feel? And I feel that I just need to treasure my parents now because their time with us will expire one day.

亲爱我，孝何难

亲憎我，孝方贤