There’s a poem that says: Flowers will bloom again, but people will never be young again.

If this were a reading comprehension exercise, everyone would know it’s saying that time flies, and we should cherish it. But in reality, only when we’re older can we truly appreciate the depth of this poem.

Life is like flowing water, slipping away without us noticing.

When we were kids, we always looked forward to growing up, eagerly awaiting our birthdays. But after becoming adults, we no longer want to grow up. From 18 to 20, it’s a period of resistance. We hope time can stand still at 18, but time is like a galloping horse, taking us to 20, 30, 40, and beyond.

It’s not until this moment that you’ll suddenly realize, “Wow, I’ve already passed so much time!” and begin to reflect on the first half of your life.

It’s probably because good advice is hard to take, and many of us understand the truth, but when others tell us, we still won’t listen, just like how we ignore our parents’ warnings. Those old sayings only sink in when we’ve fallen, and we think back to what we could’ve done differently.

Even so, I still want to remind everyone to cherish what you have. Life is neither long nor short; don’t wait until your time is almost up to look back and regret not doing things differently.

From now on, please cherish what you have in hand.

Cherish Your Family

The heavens are unpredictable, and human fortunes can change in an instant. This world is full of unexpected events, and maybe the person who was laughing with us just a second ago is now gone.

Family members are the closest people to us, but they’re also the ones we hurt the most. Because they’re so close, we take them for granted and vent our bad emotions on them.

During my rebellious youth, I couldn’t take my parents’ nagging and criticism. Our home was always chaotic, with everyone yelling at each other. One day, I was playing with my phone instead of doing my homework, and my mom scolded me. I talked back, and my dad overheard me, asking me why I spoke to my mom like that.

Later, when I was working, my dad called me, saying my mom’s health wasn’t good. Her old illness had flared up, and she couldn’t do heavy work. The night before, she suddenly felt a sharp pain and couldn’t move, which scared my brother to tears.

This year, we’ve all experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, which has taken many lives. The doctors, who are used to seeing life and death, have also been psychologically affected.

If you and your family have been lucky enough to make it through the pandemic, please cherish the people in front of you right now!

Cherish Your Friends

As Bacon said, “Except for a true friend, there is no medicine that can heal the heart.”

At home, we rely on our parents; outside, we rely on our friends. This is a truth everyone knows. When we’re lost and helpless, our friends will hold our hands and walk with us through tough times.

Whether we’re happy or sad, our friends share our emotions, laughing with us when we’re happy and crying with us when we’re sad. This is what friends are.

When I graduated from middle school, a close friend was diagnosed with leukemia. When I heard the news on the bus, I was stunned. It felt like a lifetime had passed, and I flashed back to all the memories we shared.

Please cherish the friends who are with you right now.

Cherish the Opportunities You Can Seize

When I was a kid, I often heard salespeople shouting, “Don’t let the opportunity slip away!” Now, looking back, it’s kind of funny. We’ve heard this cliché since we were young, but some people still can’t understand it.

Su Shi has a poem that says, “What cannot be seized is the time, and what cannot be let go is the opportunity.”

Looking back on our lives, we’ve missed so many opportunities. Every time we enter a new school, we have the chance to stand out and show ourselves.

The opportunities I’m talking about aren’t just limited to work or academic achievements. In relationships, maybe you’ve passed by someone who caught your eye, and if you’d turned around and asked for their contact info, the story would’ve taken a different turn.

Besides family, friends, and opportunities, there are many more things we should cherish.