The best reward for being kind — “Hi Mulan, thank you for taking the time to be with my mom today. She felt better when you’re there.” The phone flashed, and a message jumped out. It’s from Melissa, my neighbor. Melissa and her husband have two children who start in September at a school on the other…

It can fill your heart with joy — Everyone might encounter troubles in life. At this moment, a smile can turn our mood from cloudy to sunny. If you’re lucky enough to meet someone with a great sense of humor, they’ll make your day. Today I drove to a supermarket which is very close to where I live…

The Shrine, a Wedding, and the Market — After leaving the Great Buddha, we returned to Kamakura Station by bus and visited the famous Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, which was built in 1063 by the founding father of the Kamakura Shogunate and military commander Minamoto Yoritomo. It is also known as the most important Shrine in Kamakura. Tsuruoka Hachiman is…

Great Buddha and the cash cabinet — I first learned about Kamakura from the novel “A Lost Paradise” by Japanese writer Junichi Watanabe. The novel starts from the love affair of the hero and heroine in Kamakura, vividly unfolds the love tragedy of a married middle-aged man (Kūki) and woman (Rinko) and explores the eternal topic of…

But they all got me wrong — She slammed the door and left angrily! My son and two granddaughters followed her out the door. “Eileen, wait!” “Mom! Mom! Where are you going?” I heard my son and granddaughters yelling, but their voices were quickly drowned out by car motors and barking dogs. After a while, all sounds…

To celebrate the 250 stories that I’ve completed since joining Medium — This is the 250th article I’ve written since I joined Medium last May. Along the way, I have received enthusiastic support and encouragement from many writers, for which I wrote this short article to express my gratitude to my friends on Medium. The first time you meet someone, it…

Everyone has their bottom lines — Her eyes were fixed on the computer screen, but she couldn’t read the text on it. Tears blurred her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. A colleague passed her desk and asked with concern, “May, Are you Okay?” Only then did she wake up, and quickly wiped her eyes with…