The 99 Year-Old Taiwanese Women Who Guarded The Big Tree with Gratitude
Under the big tree, there seems to be endless falling leaves that need to be swept up. To the young, sweeping leaves might be troublesome work, but a 99 years old women, Ms. Hong Lee Kim Tsie, never gets tired of the job. She treats it as her life-long career and does the job with joy. She uses love to protect the large fig tree. She has even received an appreciation award from the city mayor.
This near 100 years old women, lives in Xinzhuang, Taiwan. She grew up during the times when Japan governed Taiwan. Her family was poor, she never went to school. They sustained life by selling dried wood, from which she developed a sense of respect for the world and learned to appreciate the things she has. A strong relationship between her and nature also grew because of the way she grew up.
As time pass, the city grows, thus the government decides to chop down any trees that are in the way in order to build new parks. At the time Ms. Hong Lee Kim Tsie was a 40 or so years, middle-aged women, she could not stand watching the trees get chopped down, thus sincerely begs to keep the trees around. Although the trees were saved, many other citizens complained about the tremendous amount of fallen leaves. Since then Ms. Hong Lee Kim Tsie became the guardian of the big fig tree, she quietly swept, for 50 years.
Ms. Hong Lee Kim Tsie's son couldn't bare seeing his mother work so hard, so he tries to convince her to stop sweeping. She would get mad and say it's her job. All the children could do is let her do as she wishes and be proud of her.
Ms. Hong Lee Kim Tsie continues to do her job, doesn't await reward of any kind because she is filled with gratitude. The big tree is like an umbrella, provides shade during hot days, shelters people from the rain. The old women appreciates protection that the tree provides and wishes that everyone finds respect from their hearts as she uses gratitude to take care of the tree.
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