"I want to be a catcher in the rye. I want to catch all these kids in the big field, thousands and thousands of kids, with hardly a grown-up in sight—I mean, except for me. I'd just be standing on that goddam cliff side, and my only job would be to stand there and be the catcher. If a kid even comes near that cliff, I'll catch him—I mean, kids are just running around, and they don't even know where they're going. I'd have to come out from somewhere and catch them. I'd do that all day, that's all I'd want to do, just be a catcher in the rye." This is a passage from Holden in *The Catcher in the Rye*. Amidst these reflections, I am reminded of life itself.
Life, at its core, is a vigil. Clouds watch over the blue sky, green leaves watch over red flowers, parents watch over their children, teachers watch over their students, and all living beings watch over the ordinary passage of time...
As the train whistle sounds upon arrival, I can foresee my mother's anxious search—she will do everything in her power, using her fading eyesight to scan every carriage, searching for her daughter. After decades of hardship, from youth to old age, her children have become her everything; her joys, sorrows, and the ebbs and flows of life are all inextricably linked to them. During the countless days my brother and I were away, the vigil for our return provided light to her dimming days; and waiting for a phone call to ensure our safety has become her most cherished daily ritual. A mother watches over her children, guarding hope, strength, and a ray of sunshine to warm her twilight years.
Su Wu did not compromise under coercion or bribery; he watched over human dignity and upheld national righteousness. Zhu Bangyue watched over his responsibility to his family, using the faint flicker of his frail body to illuminate a life others saw as exceptionally difficult, bringing light to his own arduous existence. When you struggle on the shores of setback or wander at the edge of hardship, try observing misfortune from a distance; perhaps then you will understand the true and ultimate meaning of the vigil. Many times through heavy mountains and winding waters, one eventually finds bright paths and blooming flowers. As the saying goes, "Heaven rewards the diligent," and so one eventually achieves success. Isn't this profound state exactly the process and essence of life's vigil?
Life is a vigil. Guard a piece of emotion to enrich your heart—cherish those you love and those who love you. Guard a promise to fulfill your spirit—walk every step of your life firmly, and believe in yourself!
