This article was written by Do Giang Long on the Toutiao platform (China).
When I was young, I felt superior to my neighbors in every way.
My neighbor, Mr. Truong, and I are the same age; we've known each other since we moved to the same neighborhood. For some reason, I always like to compare myself to him, even though we maintain a good friendship. The truth is, in terms of education and career, Mr. Truong is slightly behind me; my son attends a prestigious high school, while my neighbor's son attends a vocational school.
Talking to Mr. Truong, I told him about how good the teachers and environment were at the prestigious high school, and how my son's academic performance had improved. After graduating, my son got into a top university as he wished, while Mr. Truong's son was preparing for his internship at a factory. From that point on, I stopped comparing the two children because I felt they were on two completely different paths. Even so, Mr. Truong remained content with his life and always encouraged his son to keep trying.
My son earned a Master's degree and then went abroad to work. The neighbors were all happy to congratulate him, making me incredibly proud. He promised that when he earned a lot of money, he would take me on a trip abroad and we could live a worry-free retirement. This promise made me feel like a "winner" compared to my peers. But everything changed after I turned 60.
In old age, one learns that happiness is not about "winning or losing."
The joy of being a "winner" began to fade when I realized that after retirement, I wasn't as happy as Mr. Truong. As people get older, the desire to win or compete is no longer as strong as before; instead, everyone longs for the attention and care of their children and grandchildren.
Mr. Truong's son became a supervisor at the factory; his salary wasn't very high, but he visited his father every week. He always bought gifts for his parents, and then the whole family would have a very happy meal together. Meanwhile, my son, who lives abroad, only visits home once or twice a year, leaving my wife and me alone in our lonely house. Mr. Truong started having grandchildren, and the atmosphere in the family was filled with happiness. I tried to suggest that he return home to start a career, but my son insisted he wanted to develop his career abroad and wasn't ready to get married yet.
Three years ago, my wife became seriously ill and passed away. My son, worried that I would be alone and lonely, immediately decided to put me in a nursing home. I reluctantly agreed because I wasn't sure I could take care of myself, but the nursing home environment only made me more tired. After two years, I returned to my old home to visit friends to ease my sadness.
As soon as I entered the neighborhood, I saw Mr. Zhang walking with his 5-year-old grandson. My neighbor greeted me cheerfully, saying that if I didn't see him today, I wouldn't know when I'd see him again. I expressed my surprise, and Mr. Zhang explained that he was about to move to the city with his son, so the family could be reunited and his grandson would have someone to look after him.
My longtime friend and I played a few games of chess before saying goodbye. I sincerely congratulated Mr. Truong, even though my current circumstances are no longer comparable to his. Alone in my old house, I realized that life is unpredictable; you can't know what the future holds. Therefore, people shouldn't become arrogant just because they feel superior to others for a moment. True happiness isn't about comparing things like education or material possessions, but about learning to be content with what you have.
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