At the age of 68, I realized after recovering from a serious illness: brothers and sisters are just passers-by in life after all
In this long journey of life, I, an ordinary 68-year-old man, have experienced ups and downs, and have also witnessed many ups and downs in the world. It wasn't until a recent serious illness that I realized that the brothers and sisters I once thought would be with me for the rest of my life were actually just passers-by in life. And the ones who can really accompany us to the end are often those we may not usually care about much.
My name is Li Jianguo, and I am an old man who has been retired for many years. When I was younger, I worked in a state-owned enterprise and worked hard for decades until I finally retired. My family is very ordinary, my parents are ordinary workers, four brothers and sisters, and I am the second in the family. When I was a child, although our family was not wealthy, it was still harmonious and warm. However, as we grew up and started our own families, the connection between siblings became less and less.
When I retired, I thought I would be able to enjoy my old age and enjoy my family. However, this is not the case. My siblings all have their own lives and busynesses and rarely have time to get together. Even if they get together occasionally, it's often because of something special, like a parent's funeral. At that time, I really realized that the relationship between siblings was not as deep as I imagined.
Last winter, I suddenly became seriously ill and was admitted to the hospital. At that time, I felt like a floating leaf, ready to disappear from this world at any moment. During my days in the hospital, I thought about it a lot and remembered a lot of things from the past. I think back to playing with my siblings when I was a kid and the happy times we spent together in those years. However, when I really needed them, they were so busy with their own business that they rarely had time to visit me.
During that time, the person who accompanied me the most was a neighbor Xiao Wang who I usually didn't care much about. Xiao Wang is a young man who is usually very busy at work, but he always tries to find time to chat with me and bring me some daily necessities and food. Sometimes, we take a walk together and enjoy the scenery outside. With him by my side, I gradually regained my confidence and courage in life.
Finally, after a period of treatment, I recovered and was discharged from the hospital. On the day I was discharged, my siblings also came, with smiles on their faces as if nothing had happened. However, I knew in my heart that this serious illness had made me see the true face of them. Although they are my brothers and sisters, they do not provide me with real support and companionship at critical times.
Back home, I began to re-examine my life and values. I realized that life is too short and we should cherish everyone around us, especially those who truly care about us and accompany us. And those so-called brothers and sisters, although they are related by blood, may not be able to rely on us in life.
Today, I have let go of my obsession with my brothers and sisters and have begun to cherish every friend and neighbor around me. I know that life is like a journey, we will meet a lot of people and we will lose a lot of people. And those who can really accompany us to the end are often people we may not care much about.
Finally, I would like to say to all my brothers and sisters: cherish the people around you and don't wait until you need them to remember their existence. At the same time, we should also thank those "outsiders" who appear in our lives, who may not be our relatives, but who give us the most sincere care and companionship.