I Traveled to China And Discovered This
A Tiny Life Moment of experiences in different countries.
The Moment
My family and I spent several weeks in China, adopting our youngest member of our family. I was 11 years old. We spent time in Hong Kong, Beijing, and rural China. The big cities were breathtaking. The food was amazing. We were treated well by the tourism there.
Rural China changed all that. Public restrooms were just holes in the ground. Infrastructure was crumbling and outdated. The homes and streets appeared abandoned. Yet, there were families throughout the areas.
I wondered how many of them knew there was a different life outside their communities. I doubt many of them did.
Reflection
I have had a life filled with consistent meals, fun vacations, and safe evenings. After the trip, I’ve realized how good I have it. It’s also caused me to think what I can do to better the lives around me?
While in China, I thought about the different life experiences. There, it’s a very different lifestyle. In my life, I feel like success is based off attention and the ability to create results.
The difference in China is their willingness to be present in their circumstance. No complaints in their eyes. No worries about social media followers or likes. Maybe they were busy feeling sorry for themselves. Or they just didn’t care.
Takeaway
We all share this planet. We all have the same amount of hours each day. Eventually, our whole population on this planet will be replaced with another set of future generations.
Our purpose, like the generations before us, is to create a better life for those that will come after us. I have much because of the impact of others. I have a sense of belonging in my life. I will pay it forward.
While I can’t do much for the people in China, I can use their life experiences to benefit those around me. I can be happy with what I have. I can decide to be grateful, no matter how insignificant it might seem.
I can’t help but be grateful for those several weeks in China.
