The winter sun is extremely warm.
My father took the little horse and sat on the street in the sunshine. With his back against the tall courtyard wall, where light and heat gathered, my father still tried to stretch his neck to welcome the warmth, eagerly welcoming it.
People and cars come and go. My father's eyes have been operated on several times, and until now, all he can feel are blurry lights and shadows. Sitting facing the street, he did not want to see the prosperity of the world, but just wanted to catch the rare warm sunshine in winter. He was sitting there alone, his mouth almost open, not talking to passers-by, but talking to the direct sunlight, which was so warm and wonderful.
It is said that winter is the "life-threatening hurdle" for the elderly. When the sun comes out, the elderly have more strength to overcome the hurdle.
My father is eighty-five years old this year. He has glaucoma, prostatitis, and cardiovascular disease. He has been infected with COVID-19 and has been hospitalized seven or eight times. He has become skinny and skinny. Give him a bath, iron the loose and wrinkled skin with a towel, revealing the bright white lines. The hot water softened his atrophied nerves, and he purred in comfort. To survive the cold winter, the elderly need to replenish heat energy.
On cold days, my father would lie under the quilt with the electric blanket turned on all day long. My mother has passed away for more than eight years. Every time I see my father's lonely figure, I feel deeply heartbroken and ready to burst into tears. Therefore, the first thing I do when I get up every morning is to wake my father up and ask him if he had a good night's sleep. When I got home from my busy work outside, I went to my father's room first and chatted for a while. At this time, my father would always get dressed and sit up. When I started, my father could talk about it. It was he who took the initiative to accomplish things. How he treated people sincerely, how he convinced others, and his tone had the same drive and fierceness as before. The blood lit up his face.
I know that in the winter when there is no sun, I must talk to my father and evoke the highlights of the past. It is like taking my father into the bright sunshine, which makes the old man's heart feel warm.
A few days ago, an old man in the village passed away. He was in his nineties. On the day of the funeral, I will go back to the village to see the old man on his last journey. I asked my father to come with me, but he refused. I thought my father also wanted to go back to the village to talk to people and relax. When I invited him again, he just said "I won't go" without a single reason. I came back from attending the memorial service. The sun was right at noon, and my father was sitting on the street. I walked over and talked about the greetings given to him by the villagers. My father did not answer my words. Instead, I was surprised and declared: "I am the oldest in the village." He talked about the oldest living old man in the village. Some are more than a year younger than him, and some are several years younger than him. They speak with a speed and tone, as if they are setting up a victory flag under the sun, a flag that he won today.
. Craning my neck to welcome the warm sunshine, I clearly see that thousands of fathers in the world can survive the cold winter not only by external empowerment, nor only by the nourishment of memories. The deepest strength should be the inner circle of their own. Warm sun.
Source: Chutian Metropolis Daily (Author: Che Fu)
