Two days ago, my youngest sister shared an incident with me. Our middle sister had traveled out of town with her husband, leaving their 26-year-old son, JD, at home. JD sometimes stays at his girlfriend’s place, but when she works late, he returns to his parents' apartment. My two sisters live in the same building—one on the third floor, the other on the fourth.
My youngest sister said, "I didn’t know JD had come back. He didn’t stop by. I saw him heading to work while I was watering the flowers in the yard. I asked him where he had breakfast, and he said he’d grab something on the way."
She’s watched JD grow up, so I said to her, "He must be really busy," though I couldn’t imagine he was so busy that he didn’t have a minute to stop by and say hello.
The fact that my sister brought it up shows how much she cares. It reminds me of someone saying this: "晚辈人的不经意的善举，老人都会十分在意," (Wǎnbèi rén de bù jīngyì de shànjǔ, lǎorén dūhuì shífēn zàiyì) which translates to, "The elders deeply appreciate even the most unintentional gestures of kindness from the younger generation."
I’m also reminded of a story from a Japanese village about a man named Mr. Suzuki, who lived alone after his wife passed away. His children had moved to Tokyo for work, only visiting during the holidays. One day, his eldest granddaughter, Ayumi, decided to surprise him with a visit on his birthday. It wasn’t much—she brought a small gift and stayed for tea. But for Mr. Suzuki, it was as if the entire world had come to his doorstep. He was thrilled, chatting about childhood memories, asking about Ayumi’s work, and listening to her stories with great interest.
Ayumi stayed for a few hours and promised to visit more often, not thinking much of it at the time. Months later, when her family returned for the holidays, they noticed a change in her grandfather. He had framed a photo from their visit and often spoke about it with pride. Her father later told her that her visit had been one of the happiest moments Mr. Suzuki had experienced in years.
Mr. Suzuki’s story, like my sister’s, highlights the emotional vulnerability of older family members. Simple gestures—a hello from JD or an unexpected visit from Ayumi—can bring immense joy. To elders, these moments represent care, respect, perhaps a reminder that they’re still part of the family or perhaps much more than this.