<p class="ql-block">If it weren’t for this unexpected encounter, I might have forgotten her. Her fair face, with a pair of large eyes reflecting a calm gaze, exuded an aura of maturity and confidence. </p> <p class="ql-block">She was no longer the child I remembered. Like my daughter, she immigrated to Australia with her parents at a young age. During primary school, she took ballet lessons from a Russian teacher alongside my daughter. Then, for a while, I didn’t see her. Her father later told me that she had quit. I asked why. “No reason,” he said. “She just said, ‘I’m not learning anymore.’” From that moment, I knew she was a girl with a strong mind of her own. </p> <p class="ql-block">We twice traveled to another city to visit old friends. The first time, the children were still young. Our friends took us to Dreamworld on the Gold Coast. When the two kids rode the roller coaster, speeding down at full force, it felt as if the entire world had frozen in that instant! </p> <p class="ql-block">The next time we visited, the children had already started working. During our leisurely chats about their lives and careers, we couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. </p><p class="ql-block">Our friend’s child had graduated from university and found a job. She was in a stable relationship with a former high school classmate—an Australian. Her boyfriend, after finishing high school, became a chef at a restaurant, which worried her parents to some extent. To be honest, there exists a deep generational gap between our traditional views on marriage and those of our children. </p><p class="ql-block">Another friend’s child also graduated from university and worked for a tech company. He married an Australian woman older than him, which was initially hard for his parents to accept. However, as the couple got along well and the wife showed great respect for his parents, she eventually earned their approval. </p><p class="ql-block">What touched me the most was that our friend’s daughter was kind-hearted. She was involved in an international aid program, regularly donating a portion of her limited income to support impoverished children in Bangladesh. </p><p class="ql-block">Our friend’s daughter was very independent-minded and eventually married her partner. A few years later, not only did her parents fully accept the marriage, but they also grew increasingly fond of their son-in-law. He was always attentive and considerate toward their daughter. His career also flourished—he became the head chef at multiple restaurants and even held shares in them. </p><p class="ql-block">Years later, our friend sighed and said to me, “My daughter has a keen eye for people and a strong sense of her own mind. Now, I have no worries about her at all.”</p> <p class="ql-block"><span style="font-size:15px;">The pursuit of happiness—true strength lies in having a stable and resilient core.</span></p> <p class="ql-block">The philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, *"The desire for life’s joys and the pursuit of happiness are both human nature and human rights."* </p><p class="ql-block">Whenever I think of that girl’s courage in seeking happiness and recall her calm and steady gaze, I feel I understand the younger generation a little better. That inner stability and strength—doesn’t it serve as an inspiration for us as well?</p>