My mother is the most beautiful evergreen in my heart

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There is such a person who, no matter how rough the path ahead may be, will keep her steady gaze on us as we move forward, guiding us through every step of life； Some of her words are repeated over and over again; even after hearing them countless times, we still hear them. Though we may be tired of listening or find them annoying, whenever we think of those words in the quiet of the night, they bring us warmth and happiness. No matter how far we go in life, we will eventually return there, because there is someone who waits for us to come home day after day, year after year, under the big banyan tree in our hometown. If one day everyone in the world abandons us, she will never do that – she will still treat us as treasures in her hands. That person’s name is mother. In my heart, my mother will always be the most beautiful evergreen tree. It was she who nurtured us with all her love; not only did she give us a wonderful life and allow us to come into this world, but she also gave us many things that will benefit us for life. No matter how far we go in the future, we will always return to our mother’s warm embrace, something that no one else can replace. PART1 I was the second child in my family; my sister was born first. My mother said that when I was born, many people lied to her, telling her that it was a son, and even the midwife said the same thing. My mother believed them, but later she found out it was actually a daughter. At that time, many rural families placed great importance on having sons, as having a son meant bringing honor to the family and preventing them from being looked down upon; it made them feel proud wherever they went. I believe that the desire to continue the family line will persist throughout all generations – it’s an indelible part of Chinese culture. However, for a mother, whether she gives birth to a son or a daughter makes no difference; we are all pieces of her flesh. Having a daughter also involves pain, and no mother doesn’t love her children. In my mind, a mother is simply a typical housewife, with nothing special about her. Yet, I have learned many things from her. If it’s true that a woman’s natural role is to take care of her husband and children, then I firmly believe that my mother did an excellent job. She loved us dearly; although she would “hit” us when we were misbehaving, it was as if the pain fell on her rather than us. She always wanted to give us the best. When it came to her family, she took meticulous care of everyone, handling all the household chores so that everything ran smoothly. It was my mother who gave us a warm and happy home, allowing us to grow up in a good environment. My mother has always been a frugal person; perhaps it’s because she grew up in a poor family. She understood how hard-earned every penny was. I remember that when we were kids, buying meat every three or four days was the happiest thing for us children. My mother would always put as much meat as possible into our bowls and watch us eat. After we finished eating, she would eat what was left. In my memory, my mother rarely bought herself new clothes; she wore second-hand clothes given to her by relatives. Yet, a few days before each New Year, she would take us children to buy new clothes, saying that she couldn’t let us suffer just because she did. Even now that living conditions have improved, my mother hasn’t changed. She still doesn’t pay much attention to clothing and other material things. By today’s standards, her frugality might be seen as stinginess or miserliness, but if we think about it, without her frugality, how could such a large family be supported? Without her, how could we have grown up healthily? PART2 A mother’s gaze is gentle yet firm, always accompanying us on our journey. The year I graduated from elementary school and entered middle school, the factory where my parents worked went bankrupt due to poor management. As a result, they lost their jobs and had to stay at home. It was like a thunderbolt for our family; we all relied on my parents’ meager salaries to make ends meet. With no work now, even getting food became a problem. Moreover, my siblings and I still needed to go to school. Out of necessity, my father decided to go work somewhere else to earn money. Thus, the responsibility of supporting our entire family fell on my mother alone. Life without a man at home is certainly harder, especially since we had elderly relatives to take care of and children to feed. Every day, in addition to dealing with household chores, my mother also had to take care of a large orchard and several acres of farmland. She did all the heavy and light work by herself, working from dawn till dusk without ever stopping. Throughout the year, she always found something to do. During times when there was less work, she would take on odd jobs to help support the family. She endured the scorching heat in summer and the cold in winter, but she never complained about the hardships or fatigue. As a result, she often suffered from headaches and other discomforts. We knew that she was extremely tired, but she never told us, fearing that we might worry. My mother always gave selflessly; she dedicated all her youth to us, while she herself grew older as time passed. We started high school, and the school was far from home. One after another, my siblings and I left home to live on campus, leaving our home feeling empty. At first, we found it a bit difficult to adjust to living away from home, and our studies weren’t that intense, so we would go home once a week on weekends. Our mother would prepare lots of food that we liked, saying that we must be working hard in school and that the food there couldn’t be as good as what we had at home. While doing these things, she would also share words of advice on how to behave, show concern for us, and talk about various household matters. Whether we listened or not, she would always speak those words. I’ve always believed that such sincere words are the most beautiful; no matter what happens in the future, they remain an invaluable treasure. Later, as our studies became more demanding, we had no time to go home every week, and it became rare to hear those words. After graduating and starting work, we returned home even less often. Sometimes, I feared that time might cruelly erase from our memories those beautiful words spoken by our mother. Things that we didn’t care about back then turned out to be the very things we wanted to cherish the most over the years. Our mother would always wait for us at the big banyan tree at the entrance of the village, watching the road we had to take home in hopes of seeing us. Many times, she would return disappointed. My mother wasn’t good at expressing her emotions; she kept her longing for us hidden deep in her heart. PART3 End of 2009. I realized that my mother was no longer young and needed our protection. She, who we always thought was in good health, suddenly fell ill. The minor ailments she used to talk about had accumulated over the years and eventually led to more serious problems. The doctors found a tumor on the right side of her throat; fortunately, it was benign. Nevertheless, surgery was required. A few days before the operation, my mother was admitted to the hospital. Anything related to surgery made us worried. To reassure us, my mother kept saying that it was fine, that she wasn’t afraid, and that life and death were determined by fate. But she didn’t know how worried we were; what a huge regret it would be if something happened to her. On the day she went into the operating room, she held our hands tightly. I knew that no matter how strong my mother was, she collapsed in front of us at that moment. She needed our support. As she was taken into the operating room, she said nothing, only giving a slight smile. That smile was like a ray of sunlight coming through the window, bringing comfort and warmth. Outside the operating room, we couldn’t hear anything from inside; all we could hear were footsteps moving around in the hallway. Time passed minute by minute, and there was nothing we could do to relieve my mother’s pain—all we could do was wait. The surgery lasted just over three hours, but it felt like an entire century to us. The moment the doors of the operating room opened, I saw my mother’s calm face – pale and no longer young. She lay in the hospital bed; I think she was truly tired, tired from taking care of us. Tears streamed down my face instantly. At that moment, my mother seemed like a child. In the past, it was she who protected us; now it was our turn to protect her. In this world, she had given away her youth for us, and time had taken away her youthfulness. White hair began to appear on her forehead, her once straight back gradually bent, and her figure became lined with age. Her hands were covered in calluses, rough and with only thin skin left on them. We will never be able to understand the path that my mother has gone through in life. In her world, there was only us, and she gave us all of her love. But what can we give in return? How can we repay what we owe her? Mother is a river of time, and we are the small trees by its banks; it is with her milk that she nourished us, allowing us to grow ； A mother is like an evergreen tree; she will always be a shield protecting us. With a heart as vast as the earth, she embraces us and gives us endless love. Among all forms of love in the world, maternal love is the most selfless, and a mother’s heart is the lowest, reaching down to the very dust. Her sacrifices for us are made without expecting anything in return. If possible, she would take on all our hardships and give us peace and blessings instead. Even as we move forward in a hurry along the path of life, let us not forget that somewhere, there is a voice calling us to go home. In a few days, on May 9th, it is a day dedicated to mothers around the world. Let’s not be stingy with simple words of blessing for our mothers. If we can, on Mother’s Day, give our mothers the most beautiful roses, hoping that they may live a long and healthy life. A mother’s health is our greatest source of comfort, and this is all we can do for her