Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time of many things, one of them being a moment from 2017.
That summer, a young relative stayed with us while preparing for his English entrance exam to enter college here. We supported him in every way we could—cooking for him, helping with his English, assisting with his school transfer, and driving him back and forth to college as the fall semester began.
During that Mid-Autumn Festival, we received news from his parents in China that he had sent them mooncakes via local delivery and wished them a happy festival. It was a thoughtful gesture, demonstrating his care for his family back home. Meanwhile, we didn’t hear from him until he needed a ride back from school. This left me thinking quietly.
I may have shared this before and might mention it again in future Mid-Autumn Festivals until another memory takes its place. It’s one of those moments that I associate with this special time of year. Hopefully I have something else to write about next year.
A Chinese poem, 但愿人长久, 千里共婵娟 (Dàn yuàn rén cháng jiǔ, qiān lǐ gòng chán juān), translates to "May we live long and share the beauty of the moon, even though we are thousands of miles apart." This famous verse expresses a wish for enduring connections despite physical distance.
By the way, some of my writings receive high readership on the first day, while others don’t. I asked a friend why, and there are many possible explanations. I learned that the most important one is relevance—whether the topic is something currently on people’s minds. But then again, that feels almost like saying nothing at all—because I have no idea what's currently on people's minds.
Finally, to my family and friends far away, may the bright moonlight remind us of the bonds we share, no matter how far apart we are. This Mid-Autumn Festival, let the moonlight bridge the gap between us, bringing warmth, love, and peace to our hearts.
举头望明月，期待满圆时。祝中秋快乐！(Jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè, qī dài mǎn yuán shí. Zhù zhōng qiū kuài lè!) means: "Raise your head to gaze at the bright moon, looking forward to the time of reunion.” Wishing you a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!"