Letters to Happiness - Let it be

Let it be.

Those are wise words from Mother Mary not me, I know.

I want to dedicate this section to my friends, many of whom struggle with “self uncertainty.” Human beings are vulnerable. If you’re still reading this, you probably already knew that. The point I want to make here is that everyone is vulnerable.

I always thought my mom was a tough know-it-all. She was good at everything she did. She always keeps to her principles and does a lot of good in the world. We fight a lot. I’m way past the teenage rebellious years to use that as an excuse. We just don’t always get along. My impression is that in her book, she’s always right and I’m just a spoiled, ungrateful little child.

Then one day she was trying a new tea recipe with some random herbs and flowers the way all Chinese moms do. It actually tasted pretty good and I’m sure it’s healthier than anything I can buy from a store. She gave me a cup one morning, nice and cold because I won’t drink anything hot. I wasn't feeling very well that day though and the tea made me feel sick so I told her that (okay, maybe the spoiled, ungrateful child part has some true in it).

You know what happened? She never gave me that tea again. I asked her one day, about a week later. Why don’t you give me that tea again? She said, “I thought you said it makes you ill?” I was surprised and maybe a little exasperated. I had to explain to her when I said, “the tea made me feel ill,” it wasn't the tea’s fault. I was just not feeling well that day.

People are vulnerable. If we want, it is easy for us to misinterpret every little thing other people do and turn it against us. Every single passerby can be our mortal enemy. Don’t let it be like that. You've got power to choose. Use it and let it go. Give people the benefit of the doubt. They are trying their best. They might be busy and unorganized and careless. They might have neglected a few things and forgot another few. They don’t mean you harm.

So if something happens and it seems to hurt, don’t get too caught up with it. Don’t worry too much about it. It’s probably not that big of a deal. Give it time. Give them space. Trust people. Let it be. 
中文翻譯：幸福信 之 Let it be