By Yanqing Su
The first time I hope to not see the moon is on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The faint yellow moonlight sprinkles on my face. Instead of feeling the brightness and warmth, I close my eyes and let the breeze take away my tears—it is my first Mid-Autumn Festival abroad. It is also the first time I am alone during the festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the traditional Chinese festivals when families gather to see the full, round moon, which embodies reunion, and eat moon cakes. I do not want to celebrate. Without the people who should be there with me, the holiday is meaningless.
I sit there in a daze, not knowing how much time passes. I’m not sure how many trolleys drive by; my thoughts blend with the sound of their engines and the whistling wind. I hear the neighbor’s house playing Bruno Mars’ “Leave the Door Open.” Their laughter sounds sharp. I think about my parents, my brother, and my cat.
Maybe feeling lonely is part of growing up, and people learn to face it to become stronger. I believe I will get over it and finally understand the lesson: Learn to enjoy the moonlight instead of closing your eyes.
Yanqing Su is a sophomore applied data analytics student minoring in computer engineering. Yanqing enjoys visiting museums, watching movies, and playing badminton in her free time. Her favorites are Surrealism and Impressionism.
