{"id":48996,"date":"2023-11-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-19T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996"},"modified":"2024-04-15T14:04:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-15T06:04:38","slug":"grandma-gold-enjoys-her-old-age","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996","title":{"rendered":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"48996\" class=\"elementor elementor-48996\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4839c7e1 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4839c7e1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2563e86c\" data-id=\"2563e86c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-70506bac elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"70506bac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.8.1 - 13-11-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#818a91;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#818a91;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p><strong>By Huang Mei-yu<\/strong><br \/>Edited and translated by Wu Hsiao-ting<br \/>Photos by Yan Lin-zhao<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-52e6b72c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"52e6b72c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4c72bab7\" data-id=\"4c72bab7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-285690b elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"285690b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.8.1 - 13-11-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-divider{--divider-border-style:none;--divider-border-width:1px;--divider-color:#2c2c2c;--divider-icon-size:20px;--divider-element-spacing:10px;--divider-pattern-height:24px;--divider-pattern-size:20px;--divider-pattern-url:none;--divider-pattern-repeat:repeat-x}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{font-size:15px;line-height:1;max-width:95%}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__element{margin:0 var(--divider-element-spacing);-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-icon{font-size:var(--divider-icon-size)}.elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider-separator{display:-webkit-box;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin:0;direction:ltr}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator{-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center}.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text .elementor-divider-separator:before{display:block;content:\"\";border-bottom:0;-webkit-box-flex:1;-ms-flex-positive:1;flex-grow:1;border-top:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:first-of-type{-webkit-box-flex:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-negative:100;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider-separator:before{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-left .elementor-divider__element{margin-left:0}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider .elementor-divider-separator>.elementor-divider__svg:last-of-type{-webkit-box-flex:0;-ms-flex-positive:0;flex-grow:0;-ms-flex-negative:100;flex-shrink:100}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider-separator:after{content:none}.elementor-widget-divider--element-align-right .elementor-divider__element{margin-right:0}.elementor-widget-divider:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_text):not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line_icon) .elementor-divider-separator{border-top:var(--divider-border-width) var(--divider-border-style) var(--divider-color)}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern{--divider-border-style:none}.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern.elementor-widget-divider--view-line .elementor-divider-separator,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:after,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not(.elementor-widget-divider--view-line) .elementor-divider-separator:before,.elementor-widget-divider--separator-type-pattern:not([class*=elementor-widget-divider--view]) .elementor-divider-separator{width:100%;min-height:var(--divider-pattern-height);-webkit-mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;mask-size:var(--divider-pattern-size) 100%;-webkit-mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);mask-repeat:var(--divider-pattern-repeat);background-color:var(--divider-color);-webkit-mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url);mask-image:var(--divider-pattern-url)}.elementor-widget-divider--no-spacing{--divider-pattern-size:auto}.elementor-widget-divider--bg-round{--divider-pattern-repeat:round}.rtl .elementor-widget-divider .elementor-divider__text{direction:rtl}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-divider,.e-con>.elementor-widget-divider{width:var(--container-widget-width,100%)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-52dcea33 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"52dcea33\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-743e220a\" data-id=\"743e220a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6316f786 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6316f786\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation_mobile&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong><em>Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-18b5488b elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"18b5488b\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-47a95863\" data-id=\"47a95863\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7e2cdb6f elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"7e2cdb6f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6bd63a9 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6bd63a9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-311e0e15\" data-id=\"311e0e15\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3dcb6ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3dcb6ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.8.1 - 13-11-2022 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1069\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354.jpg 1069w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354-223x300.jpg 223w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354-760x1024.jpg 760w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354-768x1035.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1069px) 100vw, 1069px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-717b8a66 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"717b8a66\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4c1cea0d\" data-id=\"4c1cea0d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4908216d elementor-drop-cap-yes elementor-drop-cap-view-default elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4908216d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;drop_cap&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Earlier this year, Tzu Chi organized a fundraising bazaar at the Changhua Art Museum in central Taiwan to support earthquake relief efforts in T\u00fcrkiye and Syria. The <em>taiko<\/em> drum team I belong to was invited to perform at the beginning of the event. Our dynamic performance elicited thunderous applause from the audience. Many fellow Tzu Chi volunteers gave me a thumbs-up, praising my performance with comments such as, \u201cGrandma Gold, your drumming had a flawless rhythm. You were the center of attention!\u201d and \u201cWe all admire and aspire to be like you!\u201d<\/p><p>As the saying goes: \u201cThree minutes on stage, ten years of hard work off stage.\u201d While our performance didn\u2019t represent a decade of practice, it demanded a tremendous amount of dedication from every team member. We learned our drumming in a taiko class. It was quite a journey, from being complete novices to performing on stage, particularly for me, 82 already. I really gave it my all!<\/p><p>I never miss a session of the class and always arrive early. It usually takes me several sessions to master a new drumming piece. Recognizing my age-related limitations, I wake up at 4 a.m. before each performance for intensive practice. My strength lies in putting in more effort than others, but I tend to be too hard on myself. Our teacher often reminds me to \u201crelax and enjoy the learning process.\u201d I keep those words in mind as I actively participate in every team activity.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c5c33db elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c5c33db\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ea50c1c\" data-id=\"ea50c1c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09bd284 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"09bd284\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/2_YEN8468-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67d5ef0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"67d5ef0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Huang Mei-yu (\u9ec3\u7f8e\u7389) practices drumming in a taiko class. She used to dye her hair a golden hue, earning the affectionate nickname \u201cGrandma Gold.\u201d Today, her silver-white hair makes her vitality stand out even more.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c02ae35 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"c02ae35\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-411687b5 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"411687b5\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1c1cbf5d\" data-id=\"1c1cbf5d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ec1010b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5ec1010b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>Encountering Tzu Chi<\/strong><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-58fe0721 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"58fe0721\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>When I was in my 40s, my husband\u2019s publishing business collapsed, followed by his untimely passing due to a stroke. He left behind a huge debt that I took upon myself. I knew I had to stay strong for my children, so I toiled day and night, willingly bearing all the burdens. The difficult days, fortunately, eventually ended in sweetness. My children grew into kind-hearted adults. Their children, my grandchildren, have brought a lot of comfort to me as well.<\/p><p>Despite finding solace in the warmth of my family, I faced another rough patch in my 60s. The manager of the multi-level marketing company I was part of vanished with the company\u2019s funds, leading to its sudden closure. Our group of senior distributors was left with nothing and burdened with debt. This sudden blow deeply disheartened me. To shift my focus, my eldest daughter signed me up for a multi-media platform, allowing me access to a wider range of TV channels and National Open University courses. That was when I first started watching Tzu Chi\u2019s Da Ai TV.<\/p><p>Da Ai TV offered uplifting and inspirational programs, giving me considerable nourishment and encouragement. Its prime-time dramas, based on real-life stories, especially touched a deep chord in me. I admired how the dramas steered hearts toward kindness and positivity.<\/p><p>I was struggling like an injured eagle during that time, weary in body and mind. Tzu Chi became the lifeline I clung to for a fresh start. My daughter had previously suggested that I become a Tzu Chi donating member, making monthly donations to the foundation, but I had politely declined. But now my perspective shifted, and I decided to take that step. When I told my daughter my decision over the phone, she was overjoyed, exclaiming, \u201cMom, that\u2019s wonderful! I\u2019ve been making donations on your behalf for many years!\u201d I was speechless, moved by her kindness and love. Tears streamed down my cheeks.<\/p><p>At her encouragement, I even began training to become a certified Tzu Chi volunteer.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5961156a elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5961156a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-60502d04\" data-id=\"60502d04\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-274efbc1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"274efbc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/3_YEN8201-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b65999f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3b65999f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Huang teaches drawing at a senior day-care center twice a month.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e5cfce6 elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"5e5cfce6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5cb09ec4 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5cb09ec4\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-19d359e0\" data-id=\"19d359e0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-76bff0c2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"76bff0c2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>A dedicated volunteer<\/strong><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a73043c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2a73043c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I remember reading an article in which someone asked Dharma Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi, \u201cHow have you come this far on the Tzu Chi Path?\u201d After a brief moment of contemplation, she responded, \u201cForbearance and humility have carried me this far.\u201d Immediately, I was struck by a wave of emotion. I deeply admired her for establishing Tzu Chi, and I understood the challenges she must have encountered and overcome to provide relief to so many needy people around the world. In that moment, I made a solemn pledge, vowing to closely follow her and support all her endeavors.<\/p><p>I didn\u2019t join Tzu Chi until I was in my 60s. Knowing there was a lot to learn about the foundation, I made an effort to attend as many classes offered by Tzu Chi as possible and learn diligently. I developed a habit of taking meticulous notes in every class.<\/p><p>Noticing my diligent note-taking in class, a senior volunteer approached me, saying, \u201cI have been observing you for some time, and I noticed your consistent note-taking in class. Would you be interested in becoming a documenting volunteer, writing articles for Tzu Chi?\u201d I was elated and immediately said yes.<\/p><p>But when I began writing, I noticed that my pieces lacked a certain depth. I soon realized that I needed to read more of Master Cheng Yen\u2019s books and engage in more Tzu Chi work to write more in-depth and impactful articles.<\/p><p>When I first started, I didn\u2019t know how to use a computer for writing documents. Thanks to the patient guidance of other volunteers, I gradually gained the necessary skills. They readily provided assistance over the phone, even late in the night when I was rushing to complete an article. There were even occasions when Brother Shi Long-wen (\u060cI\u274as$\u0645) hurried to my place in the middle of the night to fix my computer, ensuring I could meet my deadline.<\/p><p>I went everywhere with other volunteers to cover Tzu Chi events and stories. As time went on, my writing skills improved. I also became faster, allowing me to submit drafts in the early morning after working tirelessly through the night. My efficiency even earned me the title of \u201cSwift Pen.\u201d<\/p><p>However, I wasn\u2019t without my share of missteps in the beginning. One time, while reporting on a concert, I penned over 5,000 words, meticulously capturing every detail. My write-up was subsequently used as a cautionary example, emphasizing to newcomers the significance of focusing on key elements when documenting an event. I guess this was my 15 minutes of fame.<\/p><p>I have been invited several times to share my approach to crafting articles since I became a more mature writer. I always encourage my audience to participate in all kinds of Tzu Chi work to produce touching Tzu Chi-related articles. Doing so allows them to truly grasp the spirit of gratitude, respect, and love in Tzu Chi, leading to pieces that are genuinely inspiring.<\/p><p>Allow me to share an anecdote here. When I was about 70, a crew from Da Ai TV visited me for an interview and discovered that I typed with one finger to write my articles. The director expressed his admiration for me when he saw how I painstakingly but patiently tapped out each word with one finger. He said the dedication of Tzu Chi volunteers was just amazing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e3a320d elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e3a320d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2d7c2440\" data-id=\"2d7c2440\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6124d216 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6124d216\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>Teaching drawing<\/strong><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4c29dc59 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4c29dc59\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>I\u2019m an amateur painter and teach drawing twice a month at the senior day-care center at Tzu Chi\u2019s Changhua Jing Si Hall in central Taiwan. Though each session lasts only an hour, I enthusiastically make the journey there.<\/p><p>I find the elderly participants of the class very endearing. They always eagerly ask for my help with outlining, saying, \u201cTeacher, I want to draw fruits!\u201d \u201cTeacher, I want to draw a house!\u201d or \u201cTeacher, help me create a dog!\u201d They remind me of a group of innocent, playful children.<\/p><p>One of the participants referred to me as a bodhisattva, as I never fail to fulfill their requests for help. I don\u2019t focus on my students\u2019 artistic abilities. My main purpose isn\u2019t to teach them how to draw but to provide warm and cheerful companionship. Given our advanced age, what truly matters is the joy we find in the act of drawing. Anything they create is worthy of praise!<\/p><p>My daughter Bing-xian once baked dozens of cupcakes and accompanied me to the senior day-care center to provide assistance. She was moved to tears seeing the elderly students\u2019 affection for me. She said to me, \u201cI knew you dedicated much of your time to Tzu Chi work, but I never fully understood the impact of your efforts until now. What a beautiful scene this is\u2014so many elderly individuals, with limited mobility, completely engrossed in the creation of their vibrant artwork, lost in the fun of drawing.\u201d She also shared that visiting the center helped her realize how many volunteers were silently serving the world.<\/p><p>I have wholeheartedly participated in various types of Tzu Chi work for more than 15 years now. It has become evident in the process that my most suitable role is to provide companionship to the elderly through art. Taiwan\u2019s population is rapidly aging and there is a great need for initiatives or tasks dedicated to the elderly. I found myself in the right place at the right time and am more than happy to contribute to the best of my ability.<\/p><p>Each individual has a unique purpose; when serving in the right role, everyone can create boundless value. We might have a past we\u2019d rather not revisit, a past chock-full of hardships. But no matter our past, Tzu Chi serves as a great platform to realize our dreams. Irrespective of our backgrounds, we can all find our place in Tzu Chi and achieve a great sense of accomplishment.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-693cfe91 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"693cfe91\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-78fa87bf\" data-id=\"78fa87bf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3a9cf2bb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3a9cf2bb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>A storyteller<\/strong><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-19d4ca22 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"19d4ca22\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Recently, I received a letter:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2b2f389 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"2b2f389\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInLeft&quot;,&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3b9af9af\" data-id=\"3b9af9af\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5af4e35c elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"5af4e35c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.8.1 - 13-11-2022 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));-ms-flex-item-align:stretch;align-self:stretch;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3eee3480 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3eee3480\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Dear Grandma Gold:<\/p><p>I was a first grader ten years ago. At the time, I eagerly looked forward to your storytelling every Wednesday in our class, just like I would anticipate Santa Claus. The stories you told, illustrating the wisdom of Master Cheng Yen\u2019s Jing Si aphorisms, were meaningful and lively, bringing us joy every Wednesday morning and making an unforgettable impression.<\/p><p>I am now about to finish my final year in high school. Whenever I feel down, I recall the aphorisms you shared with us, such as \u201cDon\u2019t underestimate yourself, as we all have unlimited potential\u201d and \u201cThink good thoughts, speak kind words, and do good deeds.\u201d Those aphorisms and your stories have consistently served as a wellspring of encouragement for me.<\/p><p>I miss you dearly and am profoundly grateful for the precious time you dedicated to us. My heartfelt wish is for your continued well-being and enduring happiness.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c864539 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c864539\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 With warm regards,<br \/>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jia-yun<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2aad5d7 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2aad5d7\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0651375\" data-id=\"0651375\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-470a06d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"470a06d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This letter brought back fond memories from a decade ago. Back then, I regularly visited three schools every week to share stories. I can still vividly remember the children eagerly awaiting my arrival, often gathering at the windows to check if I had arrived. The entire class would burst into cheers as soon as they caught sight of me, affectionately calling out, \u201cGrandma Gold!\u201d It\u2019s deeply moving to realize that some of these children, now teenagers, still remember me. Knowing that my storytelling left a lasting impact on them warms my heart to no end.<\/p><p>When I was in fourth grade, I often visited a classmate\u2019s home to listen to her uncle tell stories. I didn\u2019t have any storybooks as a child, so those storytelling sessions quickly became the highlights of my days. On one occasion, our Chinese language teacher assigned us the topic \u201cMy Aspiration\u201d for an essay. I wrote about my dream of becoming a storyteller, convinced that sharing stories could bring joy to others. To my amazement, the teacher submitted my essay to a renowned children\u2019s newspaper, and it was accepted for publication. I was overcome with joy when I received payment for my article. Tears of happiness coursed down my face. This experience cemented my love for imagination, storytelling, and writing.<\/p><p>True to my aspirations, during my middle years, I began sharing stories with homemakers in local communities. Now, with the growing prevalence of senior day-care centers in Taiwan, I frequently engage the older generation with my storytelling. With age, my life experiences have deepened, lending a more profound resonance to the stories I share.<\/p><p>I hold onto the hope that even at the age of 90, when I might not be as articulate as now, there will still be willing listeners for my tales.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d5f645d elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d5f645d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-452a6fe\" data-id=\"452a6fe\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-980be81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"980be81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"961\" src=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/4_SDC11199b-330x220.jpg 330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fca4a04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fca4a04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>More than ten years ago, Huang regularly visited three schools to share stories and Jing Si aphorisms. Her storytelling was greatly popular with students.<\/p><p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong><em><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Courtesy of Huang Mei-yu<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-96cba3e elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"96cba3e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2b55989 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2b55989\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b28fb8a\" data-id=\"b28fb8a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2421717 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2421717\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><strong>Zest for learning<\/strong><\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b6f575 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3b6f575\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>People often say, \u201cYou\u2019re never too old to learn.\u201d I have embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly. Even at the age of 82, I still possess a youthful spirit, driven by an insatiable curiosity and a passion for learning.<\/p><p>When I was four, my father went to work in Japan, leaving my mother and me to live with our extended family. Life was challenging, and financial constraints limited my educational opportunities. Unfortunately, I had to drop out of high school, much to my heartache. Though I had the desire to continue my studies later in life, the responsibilities of supporting my family during my midlife made it impractical. It wasn\u2019t until my 60s, when I enrolled in National Open University, that I finally had the chance to resume my education.<\/p><p>Receiving my diploma from the president of National Open University and obtaining certification as a Tzu Chi volunteer marked two of the most significant milestones in my life. They served as ample compensation for the unrealized dreams I had carried since my youth.<\/p><p>I am now a happy, contented senior. My physical agility may have diminished, but my mind remains sharp. I often encourage people to invest in their minds, emphasizing the enduring value of mental enrichment over material possessions, like extravagant food or clothing, which offer fleeting satisfaction but lack profound fulfillment.<\/p><p>I lead a frugal lifestyle, finding contentment in tidy attire and simple vegetarian meals. I focus my energies on nurturing my inner self. I believe that an enriched inner self radiates an intangible glow, attracting like-minded individuals who share my enthusiasm for learning. Such people will have much to teach me and help me further enrich my life.<\/p><p>Learning knows no bounds. True learning transcends the mere accumulation of knowledge, extending to the cultivation of one\u2019s character. I consider the latter to be of even greater significance than the former. I often reflect on myself, striving for personal growth. Tzu Chi\u2019s Four-Magic Soup\u2014contentment, gratitude, understanding, and tolerance\u2014has provided invaluable guidance on this journey.<\/p><p>I have deposited 50 years of my age into the \u201cage treasury\u201d\u2014a concept introduced by Master Cheng Yen, into which older people can deposit 50 years of their age, leaving them that many years younger at heart. The aim is to encourage seniors to continue giving of themselves as long as they are still able, helping them live a fulfilling and purposeful old age. I have discovered a true sense of belonging in Tzu Chi, feeling immensely blessed and secure in the embrace of Master Cheng Yen\u2019s Great Love, an unselfish love that embraces all humanity. I am determined to make the best use of the time I have left, striving to make meaningful, impactful contributions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-578d4ac1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"578d4ac1\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-301db3f8\" data-id=\"301db3f8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-65c68a08 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"65c68a08\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"189\" height=\"170\" src=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2022\/07\/\u82f1\u6587\u9801\u5c3e-2.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to\u2026 <a class=\"text-right\" href=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\"><span class=\"text\">Read More <\/span><span class=\"arrow\">\u00bb<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"pmpro_default_level":0,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1240],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_TW\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\uff5c\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TzuChiMonthlyFans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1069\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\u9810\u4f30\u95b1\u8b80\u6642\u9593\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"16 \u5206\u9418\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/person\/16deba569cacdab3395c3d86783c6bb1\"},\"headline\":\"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\"},\"wordCount\":2608,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"People and Profiles\"],\"inLanguage\":\"zh-TW\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\",\"name\":\"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00\",\"description\":\"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"zh-TW\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"\u9996\u9801\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/\",\"name\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\uff5c\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109\",\"description\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u5168\u65b0\u5b98\u65b9\u7db2\u7ad9\uff0c\u7d66\u4f60\u6700\u65b0\u6700\u597d\u7684\u95b1\u8b80\u9ad4\u9a57\u3002\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"zh-TW\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization\",\"name\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u2502\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109\",\"alternateName\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"zh-TW\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/04\/cropped-20210426\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u81c9\u66f8logo-\u767d\u908a.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/04\/cropped-20210426\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u81c9\u66f8logo-\u767d\u908a.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u2502\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TzuChiMonthlyFans\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/person\/16deba569cacdab3395c3d86783c6bb1\",\"name\":\"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly","description":"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996","og_locale":"zh_TW","og_type":"article","og_title":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly","og_description":"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu","og_url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996","og_site_name":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\uff5c\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TzuChiMonthlyFans","article_published_time":"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1069,"height":1440,"url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2023\/11\/box2_YEN8354.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1","\u9810\u4f30\u95b1\u8b80\u6642\u9593":"16 \u5206\u9418"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996"},"author":{"name":"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/person\/16deba569cacdab3395c3d86783c6bb1"},"headline":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age","datePublished":"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996"},"wordCount":2608,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization"},"articleSection":["People and Profiles"],"inLanguage":"zh-TW","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996","url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996","name":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age - Tzu Chi Bimonthly","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-11-19T16:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2024-04-15T06:04:38+00:00","description":"Ceasing to learn and grow speeds aging, while self-enrichment fuels confidence, joy, and energy, adding meaning to life every day. \u2014Huang Mei-yu","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"zh-TW","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?p=48996#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"\u9996\u9801","item":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Grandma Gold Enjoys Her Old Age"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/","name":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\uff5c\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109","description":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u5168\u65b0\u5b98\u65b9\u7db2\u7ad9\uff0c\u7d66\u4f60\u6700\u65b0\u6700\u597d\u7684\u95b1\u8b80\u9ad4\u9a57\u3002","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization"},"alternateName":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"zh-TW"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#organization","name":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u2502\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109","alternateName":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a","url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"zh-TW","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/04\/cropped-20210426\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u81c9\u66f8logo-\u767d\u908a.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2021\/04\/cropped-20210426\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u81c9\u66f8logo-\u767d\u908a.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"\u6148\u6fdf\u6708\u520a\u2502\u7f8e\u5584\u6545\u4e8b\u7684\u5fc3\u9748\u6545\u9109"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/TzuChiMonthlyFans"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/#\/schema\/person\/16deba569cacdab3395c3d86783c6bb1","name":"\u7ba1\u7406\u54e1","url":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48996"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48996"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48996\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54008,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48996\/revisions\/54008"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48996"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48996"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tcmonthly.tzuchiculture.org.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48996"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}