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 my performance in it was the worst in my study group.

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

When I got home at the 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 novel dirty tricks and tried them out 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, showing no trace of anger or disappointment, told me that they had got my physics grade. They tried to give me a lift, saying, “Mistakes are part of the learning process. Correcting them adds to your wisdom, son. Please do not lose heart.” Their words taking the load off my mind instantly, I felt warm and relieved.

The next day a maths test was given. I resolved to earn a high mark this time just for the sake of my parents’ love and care. Regrettably, I flunked again despite myself. This time, though, I was able to stay composed and reflect upon my weaknesses in the test. Having got a grip on my tantrum, I did not succumb to an impulse to tear up the maths paper like before, thanks to my parents’ attitude and support.

The magic of home affords you a strong sense of belonging and security. Anywhere you go and anything you do, it will bless you, with your folks having your back. Under its spell, you can always start afresh after you have tried but failed.