Whenever the sun rose and the blue sky came up, my father and I would climb the mountain near my house. Walking together, my father and I had a lot of conversations. It was a good time for me to talk with my father, develop my patience and think about life.

One day, we were having our holiday in a scenic spot which was famous for the great sight at the top of the high mountain. As I’ve had so many times of climbing, I was quite sure I would have no problem. So during the first few hours of climbing, I really enjoyed the beautiful flowers, green trees and birds’ songs. However, as time went by, I found my steps became heavier and heavier.

Later, I could not bear the pains in my legs. All I wanted to do was to return to our hotel. My father seemed to have seen through me and said, “Son, I know how tired you are. But if you quit halfway, you will see nothing. Only when you arrive at the top can you see the great sight. So it is with life.”

_____▲______ With hope in my heart, I gained my confidence again. Surprisingly, tiredness and pain went away. When we reached the top of the mountain, there before us appeared the greatest sight we had never seen before. Amazingly, we seemed to be standing on top of white clouds, with the blue sky as clear as crystal (水晶).

Working as a vet (兽医), I met a family who taught me an unforgettable lesson. They came to my clinic (诊所) with their dying dog, Coco. I examined Coco and found she was old and had a serious illness. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Coco, and euthanasia (安乐死) would be best for the dog.   

On that day, their little boy Eric seemed so calm (镇静的), petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if Eric understood what was going on.

The little boy seemed to accept Coco’s death without any difficulty. We sat together for a while after Coco’s death, explaining that animal lives are shorter than human lives.

Eric, who had been listening quietly, said, “I know why.”

He said, “People need a lifetime to learn how to live a good life—like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The 6-year-old continued, “Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

I’d never heard a more soft-hearted explanation as to why animal lives are so short. It has changed the way I live. I see every day as the day that my life could be easily taken away, so I try to live my life to the fullest.

When I was a child, a watermelon was too expensive for my family. One of my father’s friends, Bernie, had a large store in our city. Every summer, when the first watermelons arrived, Bernie would give us a call. My father and I would go to Bernie’s place. We would sit on the dock (码头) happily and get ready for a big meal.

In my father’s eyes, Bernie was a real rich man. I always thought it was because he was such a successful businessman (商人). But later I found that it was not Bernie’s money that made my father think that way. My father thought he was rich because of the way he lived his life. Bernie knew when to stop working, get together with friends and enjoy his “watermelon”.

Some of us, no matter (无论) how much money we have, we will never be free enough to eat our “watermelon” . If you don’t take time to enjoy life’s small pleasure (愉快), your work is probably hurting your life.

When I grew up I was too busy making money as a doctor, I forgot the lesson I ever learned on the dock. Well, I learn it now. Although I’m still busy working as a doctor, I will try to slow down and take the time to enjoy the small pleasure of my life.