Sunday note: A child and a grown-up This is my note dedicated to all of us- the used-to-be children. When we were kids, tears are sadness and smiles are joy. We saw mom crying by the bedside of grandpa when he passed away. We knew instinctively dad was happy when he lifted us up in his arms and smiled at us. As we grow up, we realize things are a bit more complicated. We see the tears streaming down the wrinkled face of a homeless man when someone offers him a bowl of soup. Does anyone among us still remember the last time when your crush said no to your proposal? We all know that sadness that hollows our heart so deeply that we were barely able to cry. When we were kids, we love anyone who would give us candies and cookies. As we grow up, we learn that in life, there is no such thing as a free lunch. It is all about give-and-take. Whatever we get, whether physically or emotionally, we have to pay back in some way or another. When we were kids, family is the last place we want to stay. Parents always scolded us when we didn't do our homework or tidy up our room. They tried to lecture us about rights and wrongs. "Damn!, while I am sitting here, out there it is helluva fun!". As we grow up and get a job, things get simpler. If we don't complete the assigned task, the boss will kick us out without a second thought. If people don't like what we do, they will talk behind our backs. Nobody will ever scold us the way our parents did. Yet, strangely that's what exactly we crave for now. We just want to run back home, into the arms of dad and mom as a little child. When we were kids, love is all about handsome princes and beautiful princesses. Together the two will live in a castle happily till the very end. As we grow up, we often end up with a guy nowhere near Brad Pitt or a girl who is a far cry from Angelina Jolie. Yet, we care for and miss them as much as they do when the two are far apart. It turns out "love" is a verb. To love, we have to adjust, accommodate and sacrifice for each other. When we were kids, happiness is when there is always someone around taking care of us and give us whatever we want: a candy, a toy, a gift, and a trip to the zoo. As we grow up, happiness is about being enough: we try hard to achieve what we can but also learn to accept things that we cannot. It is our independence: we take full control of our lives, knowing for sure where we are going. When we were kids, life is a journey of discovering new things. As we grow up, we realize: "It is damn right!".