Sunday, 4 May 2025
‘My dear Marwan, I look at your profile
In the glow of this three-quarter moon,
My boy, your eyelashes like calligraphy,
Closed in guideless sleep.
I said to you,
“Hold my hand.
Nothing bad will happen.”
These are only words.
A father’s tricks.
It slays your father,
Your faith in him.
Because all I can think tonight is
How deep the sea,
And how vast, how indifferent.
How powerless I am to protect you from it.’
What you all just heard is an extract from a book called Sea Prayer written by Khaled Hosseini. It is a personal narrative of a father living in Syria, trying to bring his little boy to seek refuge in a new country.
In this book, the father tries to explain how beautiful Syria was when he was a child. He tries to describe the scene of a busy market street in Homs to his son. All these beautiful and affluent memories of Homs just disappeared with a spit of bombs. The only thing the father can think of is to protect his son, regardless of how effortless and powerless he is towards wars and the monstrous sea. He tries to use words to comfort his son from the fear of starvation and uncertainty. The father doesn’t have any special power to stop the suffering of his child. It is just a father’s trick to comfort the child with words. All these words are the power of parents. All these tricks are the love of our parents.
I have always been amazed by the unconditional love given by our parents.
From the day you were born, possibly you were still a tiny little bean, who barely had any hair grown, your father and mother had already made their lifelong promise to love you, to love someone whom they barely met. Well, between your parents, I think it takes weeks and months for them to confess their love, but for you, it takes seconds.
From the time that you were a trouble maker in your mom’s tummy, not even counting the kicks and nausea you had given to her, she has already promised to love you and protect you when you were born.
From the time that you first made a stinky surprise to your dad, all he did is to ensure he will not love you less next time when you make him mad.
This is the power of our parent’s love. It only grows stronger in time, even they are getting older and weaker with age. All they have promised you are probably just words, but this trick has already secured you with comfort and warmth. Their love is powerless yet powerful.
Shungtakians, let’s try to show love to our parents and protect them with our words, bring them comfort with our promise. It may be just a word trick, but I am sure this trick is more powerful and rewarding than any achievements that your parents have longed for.
Ms. CY Leung
11 October 2021