I want to leave you with one image. This year, I’m pleased to be able to serve in Shung Tak. On the S1 orientation day, the 30th of August, new S1 students were wearing Shung Tak’s uniform and parents were proudly taking pictures of their children in front of the school gate. Some students were shy asking their parents not to hold up their phones. Some students just wanted their parents to finish taking pictures quickly so that they could enter the air-conditioned school hall. There was one thing in common: all parents were smiling from ear to ear. I could tell the joy it gave to parents, seeing their kids going to a prestigious school, was beyond words.
But there is a second image that I must leave you with and it is a hard one. In 2018, a 29-year-old man was driving dangerously when his car mounted a pavement and knocked down a woman who was carrying her 2-year-old daughter. The traffic signal box toppled, and it struck the mother’s left foot, cutting it off. Her right foot was severely crushed and had to be partially amputated. At that painful moment, she didn’t cry, she didn’t scream. Instead, she hugged her daughter tightly to protect and comfort her, and more importantly, not to scare the little girl further. She asked the passers-by to check if her daughter was hurt. The doctor was surprised that the mum didn’t faint when she’s so badly hurt. What I can say is that the strength of motherhood or parenthood is greater than natural laws. In this picture, I can feel the power of a parent’s love for her child.
To me, parents are magicians. They try their best to turn pain into hope, hardships into lessons, and tears into laughter. Some may think that their parents are not perfect parents, but don’t forget that we may not be perfect daughters or sons as well. There is one thing for sure: parents love us so much in this world no one can do so. May you tell your parents how much you love them every day.
Saturday, 3 May 2025