“ everything gone cannot be brought back again, anything living should be treasured and cherished”.

Three days ago, when I was at home enjoying my lunch with my parents and cousin, my mom received a phone call conveying bad news of your father's death. At first, my mom just didn't believe it, murmuring "how could it happen...several days ago, I had met him...he told me that he was getting better and shedding some pounds." Having heard the news, she lost her appetite, with tears in her eyes. I was also worried and sad, my mind turning back to the day when you were texting me in Wechat, your father, probably by your side, sent voice message through your account to me, joking about our age. Every time I saw him, he was always wearing a smile on his face. How optimistic and approachable he was. He was the kind of person who I was fond of.

The teller asked my mom to keep that in secret, hoping that your mom, still hospitalized, didn't know it. Because that would be so big a blow that you mom could not survive. But bad news travels fast, faster than you can imagine. Though my mom, still overwhelmed by grief, stayed at home and didn’t speak to anyone, people in town, soon knew that. I didn’t know how they heard of it, but several minutes later, on the way to my grandma’s home, I found people talking about it. Fortunately, your mom was not in town. I now understand more than ever before that if you want to keep your secret, don’t breathe a word.

I knew you were grieved, but I didn’t know how you could disguise your grief in front of your mom. You are indeed a grown-up man. Until yesterday, on the condition that your mom was better, you decided to tell your mom the truth. I caught up with your mom’s situation through contacting my mom. I didn’t contact you, not because I didn’t care about you. I know at that time comfort to you is useless. You are now swept by the grief of your father’s death and by worries about your mom’s health. To some extent, I can understand your feeling for I lost my father at an early age. We do not need comfort but company. Forgive me for not being able to stand by your side.

I am not really eloquent, and don’t know what I should say to you. But, as I also had the same experience of losing the most important person in our life, I should tell you my feeling. Every time, when thinking of my father’s death, I will say to myself “ everything gone cannot be brought again, anything living should be treasured and cherished”.