Fang Meiqi, Class 1, Senior 1, Shenzhen Xin’an Middle School Instructed by Tang Ying “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” The sentence in “Forrest Gump” reminds me of the lesson my mum gave me on that warm night. I was in the fifth grade and I was a member of our school’s dancing team. One day, the teacher said she wanted to elect the leading role for a new performance. Everyone was eager to run for it, so was I. Every day, I behaved well in the team. I had to be the best at everything, and I took it seriously every time I practiced. Also, I tried to get along well with others in order to win more supporters. My desire to win the leading role was strong, so regardless of being exhausted, I never gave up. Since I was fully prepared, I felt that my chance came. However, on the election day, when it was my turn to perform, I was sad to find out that the result wasn’t what I had pictured. I failed! In the afternoon, the moment I stepped into my bedroom, I burst into tears. Disappointment and sadness filled my mind. My mother knew how hard I had worked for the role and understood my pain. She said nothing but stayed with me for minutes. When I calmed down, instead of comforting me, my mother asked if I wanted to play a maze game. I agreed in confusion. And I was led into an amusement park. After a long time, I finally went out of the maze with my mother’s help. I wasn’t sad anymore. We sat on the bench, and my mother started to talk to me, “Honey, don’t be so sad. You see, life is like a maze, in which you need to try again and again to find the right way. Failure is common during this process. You just have to remember never to give up.” She stopped, giving me a warm smile. Suddenly a sense of joy occurred to my mind. I was deeply inspired. Yeah, life’s a maze, or a box of chocolates. But whatever it’s like, I just have to know that things aren’t always going the way as I expect. And, I just need to face disappointment and grow stronger. Therefore, I don’t regret spending time and sweat into the election. My failure gave me the courage to stand up again and taught me that I should never give up. I will always remember the lesson my mother gave me. Don’t be afraid of setbacks of life. Be brave to try what the “chocolates” taste like. | 