Last night, my wife and I were tidying up our closet at home when I discovered a hidden secret. When I opened the cupboard, there were 30 down jackets in it.
I asked my wife when she bought these down jackets, and she told me with a smile that we had saved up over the past 30 years of marriage.
I realized that in 30 years, we hadn't lost a single down jacket, and we hadn't worn most of them at all.
This surprised me so much that I quickly counted 30 pieces. Some of the down jackets I remember we bought many years ago, but they were all so well preserved.
I couldn't help but laugh, then pulled out two down jackets and decided to dispose of them. My wife looked at me in amazement and asked me why I wanted to deal with it, and she thought it was okay to keep it.
My wife thought about it and nodded in agreement. After that, I took these two down jackets and prepared to give them to the nearby nursing home, which may be a warm gift for those elderly people in need.
I listened to her words, and my heart was also very moved. We have been married for 30 years, and we have experienced too many vicissitudes and ups and downs, and we have gradually learned to understand and tolerate.
I love her dearly, and I know that she has always been my back.
Just when we were immersed in this tacit understanding and gratitude, a contradiction suddenly struck.
One day, when I came home from outside, I noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere in my house. When my wife saw me enter the door, she looked a little nervous.
When I heard this, I suddenly had a strange feeling in my heart. We have two children, the eldest son works in the field and the younger daughter works in the city.
However, they have always been very filial, at least they will call us often, or come back to see us.
I decided to give my eldest son a call to inquire about the situation. After the phone was connected, I asked him what he had been up to lately and if he had time to go home and have a look.
I asked him if he was hiding anything from us, and he immediately denied it. But I always felt that something was wrong.
This matter has bothered me a little, and my heart has not been settled. At dinner, I told my wife about this with a heavy heart.
She then added, "Maybe they're really busy, and we don't have to worry too much."
But even when she said that, my doubts did not dissipate. I think the children should at least respect us old people and give us an explanation.
But I also know that asking too much or doubting the children at this time is tantamount to adding insult to injury.
At night, before going to bed, I pondered this question over and over again in bed. The atmosphere at home was unsettling and I didn't know what to do about it.
This is an unprecedented distress for an old man who has always felt that his family is harmonious.
I know she's right, but I'm still dissatisfied, she's always like this, it's nice to me, and I feel a little out of control.
"You know, we've been married for 30 years, our kids are grown, and we're coming into retirement.
I tried to talk to my wife again, but she suddenly frowned, looked at me and said, "What do you say this is for? We still have a lot of things to do now, are these your retirement plans? You know, I've been thinking about opening a small shop or finding something to do lately, and I can't just be around home all day and be idle.
I was a little surprised because she has always been a person who likes to stay at home, and I think she should also enjoy her leisure time after retirement.
But now, it seems, she has an idea of her own.
"I've always wanted to open a small bookstore or volunteer in the community. These are all things I want to do, wouldn't you want to do them with me?" her voice was a little choked, and her eyes were full of anticipation.
I hesitated a little and thought to myself that we had spent the last 30 years with each other, all the days together, and now it seems that our differences of opinion have increased even more.
We were silent for a while, knowing in our hearts that this might be the challenge we were about to face.