Shengliver’s Note: Boyan the teen is weighed down by exams, but the parental support buoys him up. A lot of tragedies find roots in parental callousness and shortsightedness.

 

Last week we took a physics test. It was not very difficult, but I got the worst grade in our study group.

The failure hurt me so much that I lost interest in everything around. Most of the time I felt like a bomb. I thought I would be exploding any moment.

When I got home that weekend, my parents greeted me as usual with a smile. They asked me if anything of interest had happened at school, or if Shengliver the funny English teacher had rolled out any new dirty tricks and tried them on my classmates. To their questions I replied perfunctorily, and I kept sighing meanwhile.

As a Chinese saying goes, no one knows you better than your parents. My parents told me that they had got my physics grade. They tried to give me a lift, saying, “It’s normal to make mistakes. Correcting them makes you wiser, son. Please do not lose heart.” My parents’ words took the load off my mind instantly. I felt warm and relieved.

The next day a maths test was given. I determined to succeed this time just for the sake of my parents’ love and care. Regrettably, I failed again despite myself. This time, though, I was able to stay calm and reflect upon my failure. Having got a grip on my tantrum, I did not succumb to the impulse to tear up the maths paper like before, thanks to my parents’ attitude and support.

The magic of home gives you a strong sense of belonging and security. Anywhere you go and anything you do, the magic will bless you. Under its spell, you can always start afresh after you have tried but failed.