Far away from home

I come from Northeastern China. After high school, I left the city where I grew up. For many years, in my memory, my hometown has been a cold, remote place, because I usually went back home in winter. For the past years, it seems that my parents and I have been accustomed to participating in each other's live through video calls. But it's totally different! The geographical distance of more than one thousand kilometers can only keep us in touch, but it cannot convey warmth. The short gathering each year will allow us to enjoy a moment of warmth, which helps us heal the pain of the past year, let us forget the pressure, and simply be ourselves. But when we're still in the mood, we have to return to our own lives, wearing a mask of life and playing a role of an adult...

An ancient Chinese poem says:" A lonely stranger in a strange land I am cast, I miss my family all the more on every festive day." There will come the most important festival of the year-the Spring Festival. But in the extreme situation where sporadic cases have been found across the country, a large-scale movement and gathering of people is very dangerous. Despite the significance of family reunion during the Spring Festival, it's the best solution to stay where we are now. This will be the first time, since I was born, that I won't celebrate the Spring Festival with my parents. It's a pity, but from another angle, it will make us cherish each other's company and promote family affection. I think at this special moment, our hearts are closely connected.

Whoever you are, my family, my friends, or strangers, where you are and whether you stay alone or with ones important to you, I wish you have a good time for the year to come.