6 Parents Are Nearby, No Need to Travel

Parents are nearby, no need to travel —— Take you home

After a recent phone call with my family, my heart became increasingly restless. My father answered the phone, and as soon as the call connected, I heard the sound of “thump, thump” from the other end, wondering what my father was doing. He told me that my mother had gone to buy oil and had not returned yet. It was already dark outside, and I looked through my phone at that ancient and meaningful village. I could almost see my mother walking on the winding and rugged path, while my father was at home cleaning the stove, quietly waiting for her return. The cold wind blew against my mother’s thin body, and her son was not by her side; the cold wind blew against my father’s lonely heart, and his son was not by his side. Thinking of this, my heart felt sorrowful and I couldn’t help it, so I quickly hung up the phone. I dare not look at my phone again, as if looking at it one more time would suck me in and bring me back to my parents.

After hanging up the phone, I couldn’t stop thinking: when parents no longer worry about you, in their eyes, you have grown up. Parents will never stop worrying about you, so you will never truly grow up. When you start to worry about your parents, in other people’s eyes, you have grown up. You will never worry about your parents, so you will never truly grow up… You will never truly grow up, so I will never truly grow up.

Muttering the words “parents are nearby, no need to travel,” the more I said it, the more I felt heartfelt pain. Some words are like this: when you don’t understand them, you can read them a thousand times and feel good, without being moved. But when you do understand, even reading them once is difficult. And then these words, like beads in the hands of the Buddha, cycle through my heart, cutting it into pieces, yet I can’t help but play with them repeatedly, unable to abandon them.

I used to be a sensible and obedient child, really, but not anymore. When I was in primary school, I listened to my parents and studied hard, missing out on having a secret crush. In middle school, I listened to my parents and focused on my studies, missing out on early love. In high school, I listened to my parents and studied well, missing out on first love. Really, I used to be sensible and listened to my parents. But now, I am no longer sensible. My parents asked me to come home often during vacations, but I didn’t listen to them. They asked me to take care of my hair, but I didn’t listen to them. They asked me to bring a girl home, but I didn’t listen to them. I am not a sensible and obedient child, really, I truly feel sorry.

During summer vacation, my parents would secretly go through my phone while I was asleep, looking at my photos, text messages,

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