Ms. Li, a neighbor who works as a supermarket clerk, has been dropping by my house lately for some reason. She keeps asking for my old books and magazines, saying she wants to study them. I didn't think much of it and just handed her a big pile.
One day, Sister Li came over again. After chatting aimlessly for a while, she seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Finally, as if gathering her courage, she pulled a neatly folded piece of paper from her pocket. I unfolded it to find it covered in pencil writing, with numerous erasure marks.After some effort, I finally made out that it was a joke. The content was decent, but it was too long and the language a bit wordy.
Sister Li's daughter was in elementary school—could this be her child's "work"? Seeing my puzzled expression, Sister Li said sheepishly, "I made this up myself. Take a look!""What made you decide to write jokes?" I asked curiously. Sister Li explained, "Once, my daughter brought home a newspaper with several jokes printed inside. I read them and found some weren't very funny. So I told her, 'If I wrote them myself, they'd be funnier than the author's!' She insisted I try, and I promised her—a promise is a promise, after all."
So that's how it was. I admired Sister Li's unwavering commitment to her child. I patiently explained how to write jokes, and she took the manuscript home, revising it over and over. I helped her submit the jokes to our small town's evening paper, and soon enough, they were published! Sister Li's daughter ran to my house with the newspaper, excitedly saying, "Auntie, look! My mom's name is in the paper! She's amazing!"
As adults, we're constantly busy, often neglecting meaningful communication with our children. We frequently overlook the promises we make to them. We agree to go to the park, go fishing, or visit the library on weekends, only to change our minds at the last minute. With just one word—"busy"—we ignore the look of disappointment in our children's eyes.
When we impose all sorts of rules and expectations on our children, shouldn't we also reflect on ourselves? If we could all be like Sister Li—cherishing every promise made to our children and following through with actions—we would become the role models our children look up to. Compared to empty lectures, this approach would naturally yield twice the result with half the effort.
Don't forget the "promises" you make to your children.