When Ming was 6 he role played as a superhero. He tried to fly by jumping off the couch but hurt himself as he fell on the hard floor. The pain brought tears in his eyes. Ming’s mom gently asked him not to cry, or else the energy used to heal his body could slip away with his tears. Ming no long cried because of physical pain.
When Ming was 16 he had to repeat his grade because of poor exam results, and it brought him tears. Ming’s mom gently asked him not to cry. He got this result only because he did not work hard enough throughout the year and so he did not have the right to cry about it. Ming no longer cried when he did not put enough effort into any tasks which caused them to fail.
When Ming was 26 his father passed away. He and his dad had never been really close, but the thought of losing someone so close to his life brought tears in his eyes. Ming’s mom gently asked him not to cry. If dad, during his passing, saw that his family could not let him go, he himself could not bear to move on. He would end up being trapped in between. He would not be allowed back to the living, nor could he move on to the dead. Ming no long cried because of people passing away.
When Ming was 36 his girlfriend broke up with him. He saw her as the love of his life and did not understand why they would end up being apart. His cried when he thought about it. Ming’s mom gently asked him not to cry, as no one has the right to make another person cry. Ming no longer cried due to other people’s influence.
When Ming was 46 the financial tsunami had blown away his business and brought him heavily in debt. In his moment of helplessness he cried. Ming’s mom gently asked him not to cry. The financial tsunami was not something he could prevent. Ming no longer cried because of reasons beyond his control.
When Ming was 56 he caught an incurable disease. By then his mom had passed away (which he did not cry), he was single and alone, his business did not take off again. But Ming did not cry. He thought he understood the unpredictable nature of life and everything became indifferent to him.
When Ming was 66 he passed away. The moment he died he saw his whole life flashed by him. He realized that he had gone from swimming in the river of life, enjoying the ups and downs of it, the laughters and the tears, to moving himself out of the river and experiencing his life like a third person to avoid getting hurt. But at the same time he had lost the chance to understand what being human meant. Why couldn’t one cry when one’s hurt? Why couldn’t one cry when one’s in pain? What about regret? Losing loved ones? Feeling sorrow? Why couldn’t he even cry when he knew he was dying due to illness?
Because of the kind words of Ming’s mum he had missed many opportunities in his life to really express his feelings. At this moment, when he lied peacefully in his coffin waiting to be cremated, a drop of tear escaped his dead eye.
KenT the Author's Ravings 