Shengliver’s Note: A talk with a loved one is always encouraging and empowering.

We will sit the final exam in about one week. It occurs to me that I have not taken in most of the knowledge covered in the books. My mind in a whirl, I have no idea what to do.

To make up for what I have possibly missed, I bought a physics workbook some weeks ago. I did some practice in it every day because my physics is rather poor. My chemistry and biology are no better. As pressed for time as I was, I found it was hard to focus on my study. If my mind kept wandering, then my efforts would not pay off. Therefore, I was as confused as I was upset.

The other day, I got a phone call from Dad. I was surprised, because normally he was so occupied that he hardly had time chatting with me on the phone. We talked a lot, about the weather, my school life, his daily work, my gran and my little brother. When the conversation came to the final exam, I fell silent. Father asked me what had gone wrong. The moment he reassured me that everything would turn out all right, I burst into tears. I could not restrain my emotion any more.

Having taken a deep breath, I shared with Dad my inner feelings and the perplexities on my mind. Obviously, he was impressed. After I gave vent to my pent-up stress, he began to tell me a lot that he had never shared with me before. He told me about some of his frustrations in his younger days. He said that there had been a time when he found himself in a similar situation to mine. Differently, it was not about exams; it was about his life choices. At the time he was a feebleminded dream seeker. He did not know who to turn to. Against all the odds, he made it in the end. Now he owns a happy family and a good position. All the hard times he went through in his green years proved to be worthwhile.

The part of his talk that enlightened me most was: When fog obscures your vision, just close your eyes, listen to the voice from deep down in your heart, and then follow it. You will reach your destination no matter how remote it seems to you presently. Your belief can help you surmount every obstacle in the way.

Now right before the final exam, I feel a great power surging inside.