First of all, I feel a little sorry that I was not able to see you off at the train station. I would have but for the so-called Teaching Research Conference. I’m also a bit sad that the promise to eat out at PizzaHut was not carried out, either. Hope you would understand, considering how eventful this holiday has been. However, the good news is that the promise will still be valid next time you’re home. It’s nice to have something to expect in life, isn’t it?

I want to let you know that you’ve been very helpful in many ways, especially in this spring festival. It’s quite different with a young man in the house. Some physical labor becomes a piece of cake. In the field of computer science, you can be given 100% trust. It’s really your cup of tea. Most importantly, you’re now an important person to consult with on many matters. Your insight and opinions are worthy to be listened to. All this indicates that you have grown up and will become a true man in the near future.

Honestly, we don’t always see eye to eye on things. It’s natural and normal, I think. I never expect you to think alike or agree with me on everything. On the contrary, I do hope you would have your own judgment and form your own opinions. Learning to observe, analyze and finally solve problems is the basic survival skills. Independent and sensible thinking is the most important weapon you can ever have once you enter the real world.

To enjoy a truly full life, we should learn to strike a balance between ideal and reality. On the one hand, we do need to have a life goal, especially in our youth. I’m not saying you must become somebody or accomplish something great. I mean we should try to improve ourselves all the time. Only in this way can we make progress, win the respect of others and possibly make a contribution to the society. In the era of knowledge explosion, learning should be an inseparable part of life. Of course, we should not try to master everything. Instead we should also learn how to get the knowledge you need. In a sense, life is a never-ending learning process. Obviously knowledge of only one field is far from enough.

On the other hand, we should also learn to make peace with ourselves. Life is to be enjoyed. It’s not wise to set unreasonable goals. Either money or fame is not everything. From what perspective we look at this world is the key. Just as a TV advertisement says, the height of the place where you stand determines the view you can get. We can’t look at the sky from the bottom of a well, nor can we focus our attention on just one particular point. For example, money is truly important, and we can practically do very little without money. Then to what degree is it important? Someone explained in this way: “If wealth/money is a very large number, health is the first figure of it. Without the first figure, all the following zeros count for nothing at all.”