Last winter was very unusual for us. Lots of people, especially those who live in the southern part of China, suffered a shortage of water, food and electricity. But for me, it was totally different. I had a very good holiday although there were only two persons——my father and I . ( It was lucky that my mother and my brother’s family stayed in Shenzhen for a warmer winter .)

Looking back on those days, I wish I could describe to you some mental pictures that I cherish very much. Since I can’t show you I’ll describe them.

The first picture is a scene of the first snow of winter. Just picture a white world, a snow covered world that was once covered with mud, made by the constant and hurried travel of multitudes of people in the lasting rain, and surrounded by leafless trees. A very large white sheet spread over the lifeless field, the gray roofs wore gleaming white caps. The snow changed the ugly world into a fairyland. I took a cold breath, couldn’t help myself, “Oh, what a beautiful world!” I made small footsteps, like the little animals did, and then turned back, trying to preserve its beauty.

There is a second picture: two people sitting together——a girl reading, with a book in her right hand, her father sat there, looking eager for something. There was a bright light above their heads. Actually, the father was my father, and the girl was I. I was teaching my father how to speak Mandarin. My father was a good “student” and sometimes gave me a shy smile when I corrected his pronunciation. During the intervals, we chatted in Mandarin. This is the warmest picture in my life. Thanks to the storm, which freed my father from his farm work so he could spare time to stay with me, and so the teaching started.

The third picture I’d like to show you is of me. The snow was glittering in the sunshine. I was taking a walk on the trail after lunch. Suddenly, I bent down, took some snow, put it into my mouth and tasted it. You could smell the warm comfortable, fresh air, sometimes mixed with the scent of wildflowers carried by the wind. I remember when I was a child I liked to swallow the snow, ate it like sweetest candy.

Through all these, I’ve found that I am an adult now. I’ve come to know how to appreciate beautiful scenes, and I’ve learned to act like a lady. I already knew that helping someone is so wonderful, especially when you can help your family. But growing-up was a two-sided sword, I gained something and I lost something. I learned how to appreciate them, but lost the naivety of playing games in them. I changed little by little, without realizing it and now that I look back on my life, it’s so easy to see the change. I’ve lost something, like innocence, but maybe it’s time for me to cherish the things I have and try to get back the things I lost.

I learned a lot last winter, and the worst storm gave me a lesson in another way!