(Minghui.org) I'm an 88-year-old retired government official. I live in a large, bright apartment and receive a good pension. I should be happy, however my family has suffered one misfortune after another. My son, daughter, and husband were all diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgeries. Despite treatment, my husband passed away. My only granddaughter got a divorce. As I grew older, I felt increasingly sad and helpless, and wept a lot.
One happy thing I look forward to is being visited by my nephews, who are Falun Dafa practitioners. They make sure to visit me especially during Chinese New Year. In order to let them know how deeply I appreciate Falun Dafa and Master Li, I'm sending my New Year's greeting through the Minghui website. I now know that Dafa and Master are blessing the entire world.
Our Family's Story
I grew up in an educated family. My sister was intelligent and kind. After she married she moved to a small village hundreds of miles away. My sister’s in-laws were sick and couldn’t do farm work, and her husband was a teacher. Since my sister had to take care of more than 10 acres of farmland, she hired someone to help her. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) accused her of being a landlord during it's Land Reform Movement because she hired someone to help work the farm. It was a time of horror. My sister was publicly denounced and afterward, her family was destitute. All three generations of her family had to live in two small cottages, and often worried about their next meal.
At that time, my husband and I both worked for the provincial government. I was fortunate to avoid tribulations during each of the CCP's political movements, but I was terrified. In order to protect myself, I never visited my sister and I never offered to help her. Sometimes, I'd write to her, but to avoid being implicated for associating with her I always ended my letters with, “Plead guilty and abide by the Party!”
Later, my sister’s family began doing well. Her sons and daughter found jobs in big cities. One became a government official, and another became a wealthy businessman. My sister’s children all practice Falun Dafa and follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. They are healthy, honest, and kind. Their friends and family all praise them.
After my sister and her husband passed away, their children did not distance themselves from my husband and I. Instead, they respected us and took even better care of us. My niece often calls me and my two nephews visit me and bring gifts every Chinese New Year. Their constant kindness is like a warm spring breeze in the harsh winter, warming my heart.
Before he died, my husband said, “Your sister’s children return good for evil! They are different from others their age. They wear simple clothes and do not brag about their achievements. They are smart and kind and very different from today's shallow youth! They truly respect us and do good for us.”
I said, “I feel the same. People nowadays worship money and don't uphold their relationships with family or friends. Falun Dafa practitioners are different. The Party is spreading propaganda on TV and the media against practitioners and can't be trusted. Falun Dafa is awesome!”
My husband passed away in July 2016. He had a long life, but it was still painful to lose him after being together for over 60 years. As the new year approached, I felt very lonely.
The weather was very bad that winter, especially the week of Chinese New Year. It snowed and rained heavily. I thought perhaps my nephews wouldn’t come and visit after all. It’s very hard to travel such a long distance in bad weather. However, I looked forward to their visit.
A few days before Chinese New Year, I heard a knock on my door. It was my nephews! My eyes immediately filled with tears, especially since they came from so far away on such a cold, and snowy holiday.
I thanked them for coming and said, “The weather is so bad and it’s a busy time for your families. Yet, you've still come to see me and traveled so far! Your kindness truly moves me!” My older nephew said, “As the younger generation, it’s our duty to take care of you. You are our mom’s sister, so you are just like our mother. Respecting you is the same as respecting our mother.”
My younger nephew said, “As our senior family member you are a treasure. You are our only senior family now. You are precious! Our uncle passed away a few months ago, and it’s the holiday season. You must feel sad. We knew you'd feel better if we came to see you.”
When I thought about how I had ignored my sister in her time of need, I felt bad. I said, “Children, I didn’t help you when your family was being denounced and struggling. Don’t you resent me?” The younger nephew said, “Auntie, honestly, we were proud of you and uncle, but we were also disappointed with you. We were proud that we were related to high officials, but, we were disappointed when you had nothing to do with us.”
The older nephew smiled and said, “After we began practicing Dafa, all those selfish emotions disappeared. Our Master teaches us to be compassionate and tolerant, and always think about others' needs. We understood that you remained distant from us because of the CCP pressure. So, we truly understand.”
As I listened to my nephew's words I recalled that unbearable time, and my heart felt pained. Being understood and forgiven by them untied the knot in my heart, and I felt greatly relieved. I know that the reason my sister's children are so kind to me is because they practice Falun Dafa.
Happy New Year, Master Li! I’m looking forward to seeing my nephews again!