The mother carries the baby against the wind.
It’s hard for her to move even an inch,
But she still left deep marks on the long grass,
In order to preserve their color in a black and white world.
You know, she doesn’t hate tailwinds and the opposite people.
In fact, she like them, since it will make her life easier,
But with them her baby lose the innocent blueness.
So, the mother carries the baby against the wind.
"I refuse to conform to the ideologies and attitudes of others. I cannot resonate with their beliefs, yet I am unable to change them.
The reason that I... I am willing to walk against the wind, to separate, and to live a harder life is that I yearn for true love and want to raise my children with the right values and ideologies. It is hard to live alone, with less money and emotional support, but I am unwilling to compromise for anything. Some things, like financial security, I would rather not have than be succumbed to compromise my life..."
---A Single Mother
Laura grew up on Windless Hill. True to its name, there was no wind there. The swallows of spring never returned, and the geese never passed by. Since she was a child, Laura had longed to fly, but she had never seen a real bird. She wanted to board an airplane, but there was no airport within a hundred miles. She wanted to play with paper airplanes, but without wind, they simply couldn’t take off. She was utterly disappointed and could only watch documentaries and educational channels on television to imagine flying.
Many years passed, and Laura lived an ordinary life on Windless Hill for half a century. One day, her son came home crying, saying that his paper airplane couldn’t fly all day. Without hesitation, Laura took him to the steepest slope on Windless Hill.
She knows better than anyone that paper planes can’t fly here, but she held her son up and dashed downhill. It was a miracle that hadn’t happened in a hundred years. The paper airplane flew in a place without wind.
“When I was young, I had to assume the role of the pillar in my family, and no one ever gave me special attention. Of course, my own dreams were never fulfilled or anything...... Now, my children are like the embodiment of my spirit. I hope they have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams, even if it means I have to be under pressure a lot. Even though sometimes their dream is sort of unnecessary and too big. I will support them as much as I possibly can... It’s not just helping them; it’s helping myself too."
---A Single Mother
"In the toughest of times, when I first arrived in America, I couldn’t even afford to treat my son to a meal at McDonald’s. I remember going to the McDonald’s near the university, and my son ordered the cheapest kids’ meal. I thought I had enough money to pay, but I forgot about taxes and service charges in the U.S. The cashier was impatient, and I was on the verge of tears, but my son remained calm and said something like, ’We can eat there another time.’ In the end, I bought him even cheaper chicken nuggets. The chicken nuggets were tiny, yet he took his time to eat them. That scene was so memorable. The window of McDonald’s blurred the beauty outside. It was a sunny afternoon, and the trees were exceptionally green, light shined on the avenue."
Amidst clouds of orange and a sky of purple hue, a mother descends with the setting sun in view.
She couldn’t reach her intended destination, yet not a trace of anger mars her admiration. Though she may fall hard, she harbors no fear, for she knows her demise is not drawing near. As the sun prepares to bid its daily adieu, her spirit remains resolute, undeterred, and true, for she knows the sun shall rise again with might, guiding her flight beyond the fading light. Together, they shall rise with each morrow’s birth,
Perhaps to fall again, dance upon the earth. But that does not matter, for she holds within her soul, The certainty that someday she’ll reach her destination.So, the mother carries the baby against the wind.
"My philosophy is simple: Things that don’t kill you make you stronger. When I was young, my father passed away due to a terminal illness. It made me cherish life and opportunities even more.
Whenever I hear doubts, whether about my career as an educator or my life choices, I respond with a firm belief: You are not me, and I am not you. We each walk our path. Whether I’m forty or not doesn’t matter. Every person is unique. I hear the voices, but I move forward without hesitation! If I fall, I rise again! I am the diamond formed under immense pressure. It’s like one of those good values in the kids’ movies, but that’s really how my philosophy goes. haha..."
---A Single Mother
Today is Adeline’s 40th birthday, also Thanksgiving. Yesterday, her children just started their vacation, Their report cards filled her with full pride, And their 7th grade science fair was also the brightest. Today, her parents are in a distant land, Wait to video call and hold their hand. Today, the first snowfall blankets the ground, And she bought Disney park tickets, joy profound.
But she couldn’t make it, fate intervened, A restraining order, life’s cruelest scene, Evicted from her home, her children taken away, She finds herself on the streets, lost and astray. Her credit card expires, no money in her hand, No cab to take, no meal to withstand, No place to rent, and no roof over her head, Her lawyer in chemo, couldn’t be in court as she pled. Today Adeline became a Single Mother.
"The scenes I described are all real, as if everything is not a coincidence, but I don’t want to dwell on that aspect. That day was truly dramatic, but the good news is I made it through..." ---A Single Mother
The ancient giant statue, worn and damaged, yet physically strong and invincible stood amidst layers of dark mist at its feet. No monsters dare to lurk around, but whenever the statue bowed down, the mist revealed its deepest nightmares. Each night, stars dotted the sky as fluorescent butterflies fluttered about, while the son, standing beside the statue, gazed at the starry sea and butterflies without saying a word. Each night, the Colossus bent down to face his nightmare just to use her heavy body to lift his son and whisper, "Go catch those butterflies."
"I am a self-reliant individual, but I acknowledge my limitations. However, I strive to shield my children from the pain I have endured and desire to make their path a little easier. Often, I exert extra effort, pushing myself beyond my limits, just to ensure that they have a normal life, wearing nicer clothes, watching better movies, and so on. Every mother would do the same."
---A Single Mother
In the darkness she walks, holding a koi, Seeking a pond, leaving water trails behind.
In the darkness she roams, the koi thrives, Yet without a pond, its vibrance will fade.
In the darkness she travels, the koi explores, Amidst the chaos, its vibrant scales gleam, and Orange hues adorn its patterned eyes, It glimpses other koi within the dream.
In the darkness they arrive, They find the pond, but it resides above, High in the heavens, out of reach.
"The greatest emotion I remember wasn’t about me...
...I always felt that my daughter had so much talent, so much potential. Why couldn’t she have access to better opportunities, better tutoring classes, dance costumes, and so on, like other ordinary and even lesser talented people? I recall cursing myself, feeling like a failure for not being able to provide these things to my daughter, who clearly are more capable."
---A Single Mother
That tropical fish,
that vibrant color dances,
that resplendent gleams.
In that dead calm deep water,
that Silent cry goes unheard,
that abyssal loneliness impends.
I have always been someone who pursues the beauty of life and love. Now, I have come to accept things as they are, but in the past few years, the loneliness that settled within me was truly (unbearable)..... Several years ago, whenever I interacted with others, I found that their thoughts didn’t align with mine. It was a painful experience to live in that environment. I yearned for passionate souls, but it seemed like everyone had been worn down by life, leaving me alone for decades.
---A Single Mother