Astoria, New York
May 8, 2021
Rongchang, Chongqing
Dear Mom,
Hope you see the characters as if to see me.
When I am not by your side, please think of all the time since you brought me to this world -- since we became mother and daughter---when I am not by your side, please believe that I am trying hard to live, not giving up love and kindness, which you’ve taught me throughout your life. The thought of you may bring me tears, softly and sadly, but that is also love and tender. When I am not by your side, please read this letter, feeling as if I am in your hand, just like you holding my feet when I was a baby. Each character is me smiling at you, crying for you, and telling you about life. In the end we will walk into different times, but the warmth you gave me will stay for the rest of my life. Just as we’ve met in this short life, perhaps we will come across again in our next life, when I might be a mother and you were my daughter, or we could be lovers, or you were a flower, and I was the little stone at your foot. This temporary departure is not an endless night, but another wait.
Yours,
Zhan’er