Unreturnable Hometown

Xuefeng

August 9, 2023

Life's vicissitudes, many places we long to visit can never be revisited, many people we long to see can never be seen again. When we departed initially, if we knew that parting meant an impossible return or reunion, we would have taken another look, stored more memories of our hometown in the warehouse of our minds. Those easy goodbyes, back then, were never thought to be the final wave to those we yearned to meet—each parting became a permanent farewell.

Parting is easy, reuniting difficult; “Life is long, but time and tide wait for no man”; How priceless is this affection, yet what can be done about it? The wind and the moon mock me for being naive for every passing year.

In the journey of life, things that once seemed ordinary, mundane, and commonplace, were not cherished at that time, nor considered precious. However, upon realizing the inability to revisit or re-experience them, those experiences became incredibly invaluable. Year after year, day after day, moment after moment, we've always been amidst precious experiences. Yet, due to their apparent ordinariness, we neglected their value and significance. However, when the realization dawns that those experiences cannot be replicated, we discover, "The heavens and earth may last long, but sometimes emotions come to an end, yet this regret remains ceaseless". "How much resentment in the west wind, unable to blow away the frown."

"Mutual hatred lacks trust, mutual understanding reveals shallow seas." In the vast expanse of life's path, along with every acquaintance, there is a continual journey of fondness and regret. Once we recognize someone, before long, it turns into yearning, then resentment. How many deep affections and friendships have been severed across distant lands, yearning for reunions amidst landscapes of formidable mountains and flowing rivers, yet finding no way to come together again? Thus, we walk this road, leaving pieces of ourselves, journeying amidst longing, "Yearning to speak but remaining silent, truest when love cuts to the bone."

Let’s cherish moments by smiling when scolded by parents, for such chances are rare. Cherish those times when siblings tease, as sibling affection is deep as the sea—once severed, the cost of regret is high. Cherish the moment when you meet someone, even if they complain, for someone you've been intimate with is life’s blessing, the most worthwhile chapter of life, worth cherishing, worth growing old together with, sharing life's stories with. Cherish the friendships with neighbors, friends, and relatives; endure when disagreements arise, for these moments constitute the landscape of our life's journey. What seemed insignificant in youth becomes the invaluable treasures of life when old age and sunset arrive.

Life is sorrowful! The hometown we cannot return to, the people we cannot see anymore.

Life is joyful! The countless amorous feelings and inexhaustible scenery along the way.

Though the mountains are high and the waters vast, full of doubt for the road ahead, I have a way to avoid sorrow and embrace joy. If you wish to reunite with loved ones year after year and share endless moments of bliss on the journey of life, then embark on the journey of immortality together, leaving behind the bone-deep yearning.

The path of immortality and celestial love is layered and vast, rivers merging with rivers, peaks connecting with peaks. Flowers bloom on the hills, fragrance fills the path. Phoenixes echo in the valleys, forest murmurs. Small bridges overflowing waters, ancient pavilions on long roads, heartfelt conversations, hand in hand toward the horizon, extraordinary scenery awaits.