Preface
After all the vicissitudes of life, the old man finally realized that he had entered his twilight years. Once upon a time, he was also a high-spirited young man, working tirelessly all night to give his family a better life.
Now, there are few white hairs on the top of the head, the five banyan trees are not seen when the head is raised, and the knees are not seen when the head is lowered. The children are independent and no longer need his financial support, and in turn, they have to be filial to their old age.
The old man had mixed feelings, and his heart was mixed. He knew that life had come to a standstill in the twilight and was soon coming to an end. During his lifetime, he hopes to do his best to leave a legacy of good fortune for his children and grandchildren, so that they will be auspicious for generations to come.
This is the return of the elderly for the long-term care of their children and grandchildren, and it is also the best summary of their own life.
Intellectual wealth
Knowledge can affect the fate of several generations of a family, which is the profound experience of the elderly. Historically, many people have used their knowledge and writings to help future generations improve their circumstances and change their lives.
Just like the Tang Dynasty poet Han Hao, he has been rolling in officialdom for many years and has accumulated rich life experience and poetry skills. After his retirement, he compiled a collection of his life's poems and passed them on to future generations.
Hundreds of years later, Han Yi, the descendant of Han Hao, won the appreciation of the officials of the Song Dynasty with these posthumous works, and became an official eunuch from a poor peasant. It can be seen that Han Hao's knowledge has brought great blessings to his descendants.
Another example is Li Bai, whose works have been passed down through the ages, benefiting his descendants from generation to generation. Li Bai's son Li Yong and grandson Li Shizhidu inherited his poetic talent and were also famous at that time.
The wealth of knowledge left by Li Bai has achieved the glory of his children and grandchildren.
The old man deeply felt that he should also compile his life's knowledge and experience into a book or a series of articles at the last moment of his life and leave it for his children and grandchildren to read. It can also be beneficial to put together the good books you have read in a small family library.
With this gift, children and grandchildren may be inspired by the knowledge left by the old man when they encounter ups and downs in life, and change the trajectory of their own destiny.
Fame and wealth
The old man realizes that a person's reputation often affects his children and grandchildren. Therefore, in the last stage of his life, he tried to establish a positive and noble family image with his words and deeds.
Historically, many people have been respected and cared for by society because of the good name established by their ancestors. For example, Fan Wencong, an official of the Ming Dynasty, is a descendant of Fan Zhongyan, a famous minister of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Although he was trapped in a crime, he was pardoned by Ming Taizu because of his ancestors. Then he changed his mind and became an official honestly, so as to live up to the good name of his ancestors.
Another example is Yue Fei, his loyal and fearless image is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, so his descendants have benefited from the achievements of their ancestors. People with the surname Zeng are also often proud of their relationship with Zeng.
A good surname is often an honor.
Therefore, the old man is determined to do more good deeds and establish a noble character for the rest of his life. He hoped to leave a noble family motto for his children and grandchildren, so that they would remember the entrustment of their ancestors and consciously practice virtue, so as to avoid any behavior that would discredit their ancestors.
A positive family name and family mark will become the spiritual sustenance of children and grandchildren for a lifetime. This is also the best gift from the elderly to them.
Moral wealth
In the last stages of life, the elderly understand the importance of moral cultivation. The noble character of the ancestors often becomes a strong spiritual backing for the children and grandchildren.
Historically, many descendants have been helped and promoted by society precisely because of the virtues of their ancestors. Su Xu, an official in the late Northern Song Dynasty, was thrifty and diligent, distributing the grain he had accumulated over the years to poor clansmen and neighbors.
This great virtue has won a reputation for the Su family. By Su Shi's generation, the Su family had become a local prominent family.
Another example is Liu Hao, an official in the late Southern Song Dynasty, when the Yuan soldiers went south, he took risks to save many remnants of the Southern Song Dynasty. The Liu family is also respected for this. By the time of the Yuan Dynasty, the descendants of the Liu family received help from all walks of life, and the clan was full of talents, and finally achieved the outstanding achievements of the great calligrapher and painter Liu Bowen.
On the contrary, if the ancestors have moral deficiencies, it will also bring endless disasters to the descendants. Therefore, the old man realized that he must change his mind and face at the end of his life, do good deeds, and lay a good foundation for the future of his children and grandchildren.
He plans to donate most of his life's wealth to charities to help those in need. He will also lead by example, teaching his children and grandchildren the importance of charity and helping others.
The old man believed that as long as he did more good deeds in his lifetime and set a noble example for his children and grandchildren, they would definitely be inspired by this spirit, cultivate good character from an early age, and win the love of others.
This is the greatest wealth that the elderly can leave them.
The mission of the elderly
The elderly understand that it is difficult for them to provide more help to their children and grandchildren in their material lives, but they can still guide them through spiritual sustenance.
As elders, the elderly have the responsibility to use their life experiences to guide their children and grandchildren on the right path. He will lead by example and be a good example to his children and grandchildren. In the last stage of his life, the elderly are determined to correct their behavior, be kind to others, reflect on their shortcomings, correct their mistakes, and let themselves live a meaningful life in their later years and become a moral and wise elder.
He will also compile his reading experience over the years into articles, telling his children and grandchildren how to learn Xi, how to behave, and how to run a career. The old man hopes to use his experience to guide his children and grandchildren to avoid the pitfall of life, avoid detours, and live a meaningful life.
The old man is well aware that his children and grandchildren will encounter many challenges and problems that he could not foresee. At this time, the only thing he can do is to do his best to teach them the principles of life, teach them to understand the world correctly, and cultivate the ability to think independently.
With these preparations, children and grandchildren can better cope with the ups and downs of the road ahead and go further.
epilogue
When the old man silently looked back on his life, he was full of emotion. The high-spirited young man in the past finally turned into an old man with white hair in the nicks of time.
Now, his children and grandchildren are on their own, no longer need his financial support, and in turn have to take care of his old age.
The elderly are grateful for the filial piety of their children and grandchildren, and they also want to repay their nurturing kindness in the last stage of their lives. Therefore, he did his best to prepare three precious treasures for his children and grandchildren - the edification of knowledge, the edification of fame, and the edification of morality.
This is the only thing the old man can do, and it is also the most valuable gift in his opinion.
When the hurried journey of life is about to be completed, the old man finally understands that a person's true wealth does not lie in how much money he accumulates, but in what he leaves behind. When the old trees in the courtyard withered, he only hoped that his last fallen leaves could turn into spring mud that moistened his children and grandchildren.
This is the wish of an ordinary old man - to repay the nurturing feelings of his children and grandchildren with his final life blessings, even if it is insignificant, but also at ease.