【The Children Holding Flowers Series】Stand Firm Postcard

【The Children Holding Flowers】 . A child holds a flower taller than himself, his face serene, without a hint of strain. He stands quietly, gazing intently at the bloom in his hands, determined to protect it with his small frame. Recently, I read Liu Wai-ch'eng's essay "The Children Holding Flowers." The author mentioned a wooden puppet a friend once gifted him, encouraging him to "guard one's ideals like a child guards a flower." Initially, the author found the puppet peculiar, as the flower the child held was disproportionately large. Yet, he was eventually drawn to the imagery—it is precisely the child's smallness, coupled with his focused dedication to protecting a large flower, that reveals an innocent heart. Are we not also pursuing dreams that are larger than ourselves, seemingly out of reach? Day after day, the weight of these flowers might leave us breathless. But for the sake of what we cherish, we all need the innocence and tenacity of a child, to persevere and hold on with a touch of foolish courage, even when things seem impossible. May we all become children holding flowers, protecting them with all our might, no matter how heavy our ideals may be.