Upwards / 向上

江老師說，國畫裡不喜畫櫻花，因為櫻花的花瓣向下垂。這個星期我的功課是畫杜鵑花，老師給我的範本中，花瓣都朝外上方開，感覺是積極的春天。

Jim said that cherry blossoms are not a favorite in Chinese painting because the petals droop downwards. This week my assignment is drawing azaleas. Jim painted a sample for me and the petals turn outwards and upwards. Through the image, I can envision a positive spring season.

這兩天天氣好得不得了，上帝對我也特別好，改了好幾份作業，看了一些申請手冊，感受到孩子們的進步，有的是長距離的慢跑，有的是我不經意的動作，卻產生了我意想不到的好結果，我們之間從誰開始的向上力不重要了，因為我們彼此都受惠，希望這股力量在我們分手之後會一直記在心裡。

The weather these two days have been gorgeous. God is especially nice to me. After having looked at some reading notes and portfolios for application to colleges, I feel my kids’ overwhelming progress. For some, it’s a long running marathon, and for others, it’s a good result brought about by little things I do. It doesn’t matter where the strong urge to reach for a goal originates because both of us profit from it. I do hope that this driving force will stay with us when we are no longer together.