Yesterday, my 93-year-old mother asked me, "What makes you happiest?" I searched my brain for an answer. "When my daughter becomes a rich and famous artist or something like that." She said, "I feel happiest when my motherland becomes a strong country."
I can understand her feeling, knowing what she has gone through in the past, though some of her children don't share the same sentiment.
I know her words come from a deep-rooted, unshakeable belief. I am super happy that at her age she has a strong belief to support her.
Her hearing function is seriously impaired, and she spends most of the day all by herself within her quiet little world. Sometimes I worry about her mental health. It is a huge comfort to me knowing she has a strong belief to cheer her up each day.
One of my sisters sometimes makes comments about my mother's patriotic sentiments. What people fail to understand is her patriotism, as part of her belief system, allows her to set her goal to something bigger than herself, transcending her restricted personal experience, which is crucial to her mental health.
I think my mother sets a good example for her children and grandchildren and, in fact, for many people. It is better to live with a belief than without, and we should realize its strong positive mental and psychological effects on our well-being.
At any time in our life, we all need a means to make sense of our existence, to answer the existential question of why we are here. A strong belief like my mother's injects meaning and purpose into her life, providing emotional and mental stability and resilience during her twilight years. It is a source of strength, comfort, and optimism, that we all sorely need. Her unwavering patriotism reminds us of the importance of having a belief system that helps us navigate life's challenges and find joy in something greater than ourselves.