I'm sorry for being late. I just posted a video," she said. He nodded: "Do you live in a world where joy can be measured by views and likes??". She laughed: "Yes, when the video is liked by many people, I am very happy. But if there is little interaction, I am sad. Sometimes I am sad to the point of wondering if I am still interested.
He took a sip of tea, slowly: "When I was young, I sent the manuscript to the editorial office, sometimes I waited for a whole month without a response, and at the weekend I cycled past the editorial office to quickly look in... Many times when I was rejected, I was very sad, I didn't want to eat or drink, but then the dream of literature was very strange, it kept urging me to continue writing, continue sending. Gradually, some articles were published, at that time I was extremely happy. And when I couldn't write, I was sad but then I learned to accept it.
She was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "Sir, online, people advise you to always be positive, full of energy." He laughed: "Just knowing how to be happy without knowing how to be sad is not life. You see, the videos that make people most touched are not for fun, but because they are real.
She frowned: "I once posted a video telling a very heartbreaking story, I posted it and cried. And that day, many people texted and shared saying they were very sympathetic and had also encountered such sad things.
He nodded: "Emotion is something that needs to be cherished, not hidden. But don't let praise make you fly too high and don't let criticism drag you down too deeply." She slumped up: "Sometimes you are happy because of a comment. Then just another negative comment, all the joy disappears." He sympathized: "I also suffered from some "martial art" criticisms. But later I understand, anything that happens is worth cherishing. Both joy and sadness. Because each emotion is evidence that we are living.
Then he continued: "Emotion is like a garden. You can't stop the rain and wind. But you can take care of the soil, build fences, water every day. When there is a storm, the garden may be desolate. But if the roots of the tree are strong, it will revive.
The girl looked down at the flashing phone, then slowly tilted the screen to the wooden table, and said: "I understand what you mean. Your garden doesn't need to be exposed to everyone to admire to be a beautiful garden." He smiled: "So today, try writing something just for yourself, don't care about the likes.
The girl also smiled: "Let me write tonight, and now I invite you to eat bun rieu. Today's weather is gloomy, meeting you is both fun and a valuable lesson".
