Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and sweet kisses. So, I really doubted whether there was any love between my parents. Every day they were working hard to pay for my high school. They didn't act in the romantic ways that I read in books and saw on TV, and they certainly didn't send flowers to each other on Valentine's Day (情人节).
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt (被子). I asked her if there was any love between her and my dad. She stopped and raised her head in surprise. Then she went on with her work without saying anything. I was very worried because I thought I had hurt her feelings. But after a few minutes she said, “Look at this thread (线). Sometimes it appears, but most of the time it disappears in the quilt. If life is a quilt, then love is the thread. It can hardly be seen anywhere or at any time, but it's really there, and makes the quilt long-lasting.” I listened carefully but I didn't understand her until the next spring.
My mother suddenly got seriously ill and had to stay in hospital for about a month. Every morning and evening after she returned from the hospital, my father helped her walk slowly along our country road. There were many beautiful flowers, green grass and trees, and the sun gently shone through the leaves. All of this made the most beautiful picture in the world. Reading their eyes, I knew they love each other deeply. From this experience, I realized that love is just a thread in the quilt of our lives. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
