The other day, I asked Julie a rather simple question:
"What was the happiest moment of our marriage?"
I was curious about what she would say. After all, we have been married since 1975. We have shared many experiences, raised a family, travelled, faced challenges and enjoyed plenty of good times together.
Her answer surprised me a little, but it also brought back a flood of memories.
She said it was the time when we lived at Chi Fu Garden in Pokfulam, on Hong Kong Island.
Not a grand occasion. Not an overseas holiday. Not a special celebration.
Just the years when we were young, our children were small, and we were living together as a family.
A Home That Was Just Right
Looking back, Chi Fu Garden gave us what we needed at that stage of our lives. Our home was comfortable, and there was enough room for everyone.
We also had Ah Ying, our amah, who looked after the housekeeping and prepared our meals. Her help made a real difference to our daily lives. We did not have to spend all our time worrying about household chores.
That gave Julie and me something precious — time.
Time for ourselves, and more importantly, time for our children.
We could take them out to the nearby hills and streams. We could walk, explore, play and enjoy the outdoors together.
Those were simple family outings, but they gave us something that money could not buy.
We were not rushing from one appointment to another. We were not constantly thinking about what we had to do next.
We were simply enjoying being together.
When Happiness Was Simple
I suppose that was the beauty of those years.
Our children were young. Their world was still full of discoveries. A walk up the mountain, playing beside a stream, or spending an afternoon outdoors could become a wonderful family adventure.
Julie and I were young parents too. We had our responsibilities, of course. Work, family commitments and the usual worries of life were always there.
But somehow, we had found a comfortable rhythm.
We had a home, our children, a little help with the household, and enough time to enjoy one another's company.
We probably did not think much about how happy we were at the time. We were simply living our lives.
Only now, looking back, do we realize how precious those ordinary days were.
Julie's Answer Made Me Think
What touched me most was Julie's answer.
After all these years, she remembered Chi Fu Garden as the happiest period of our marriage.
It made me wonder whether we sometimes spend too much time looking forward to the next stage of life, hoping that something bigger or better will make us happy.
When we are young, we think about our careers, our homes, our children's education and our future.
We work hard to provide a better life for the family. That is natural.
But along the way, we may overlook the happiness already sitting right in front of us.
For Julie, happiness was not about having more. It was about having enough — enough space, enough time, and the people she loved around her.
I think she was right.
Looking Back With a Grateful Heart
Today, our children have grown up. Life has taken us in different directions, and the years have passed much faster than we could have imagined.
Chi Fu Garden is now a chapter in our family history.
But when Julie mentioned it, I could almost see those days again — the home, Ying taking care of the household, the children playing, and the two of us enjoying our young family.
Perhaps that is what marriage is all about.
It is not necessarily one unforgettable moment. It is a collection of ordinary days, shared responsibilities, laughter, family outings and quiet companionship.
I asked Julie about the happiest moment of our marriage.
Her answer reminded me that we had already experienced something very special.
We had a home. We had our children. We had time for one another.
And we were happy.
What more could we have asked for?
Sometimes, the greatest wealth in life is not what we have accumulated, but the memories we have made together.
— Grandpa Journey
#GrandpaJourney #GrandpaJourneyMemoir #ChiFuGarden #Pokfulam #HongKongMemories #FamilyMemories #FamilyHappiness #MarriageJourney #LifeTogether #GrowingUpTogether #HappyFamily #MemoriesOfThePast #LookingBackWithGratitude #SimpleJoysOfLife #FamilyIsEverything #A LifeWellLived
No comments:
Post a Comment