Why a kid has to be brilliant?

Last Friday, I returned home feeling like a member of the Special Forces, enduring a six-hour rideshare after my day off, arriving at 1?am, and taking a six-hour train back on Sunday afternoon.

Why?

Because if I didn't, the next time I saw my little brother, his high-school life?could?only be accompanied with "Yesterday Once More".

Yesterday: the first day of my brother's college entrance examination, symbolizing " watershed " in most Chinese high school students' life.

Then, I forgot that ... until a public account shared an update about the essay topic which was forwarded to my mom immediately.

"Why are you sending this to me?" Mom asked.

"This is the essay topic for this year," I replied.

"I took the exam, of course, I know,"

"Ah..."

Yesterday afternoon, with only three minutes left of math exam, I told my colleague that.

She advised, "Don't ask yet, wait until he completes all the exams."

Half an hour later, I received a message saying, "I failed Math."

My brother is completely different from me?if solely considering some particular characteristics.

Physical appearance influences me little, but he would fret over a small red dot on his hand or a pimple on his face for a lifetime.

Back to the college entrance exam, he has prepared?for everything except the academic part, from getting a specific hairstyle to buying a computer and even seeking out someone to date.

That's my brother—sensitive, timid, and laid-back.

Was it really necessary for me to come back home that weekend?

If not, I would always feel like something was missing: missing his "milestone" test, missing one vital part of his life.

Does the college entrance examination truly hold that much significance?

Truth goes I completely forgot that he had it for yesterday : )

Briliant academic performance may make him a role in others' mouth, however, that means nothing to me, especially considering millions of standards in his future life set to define him.

During my stay at home, my brother approached me, looking lost?and hopeful.?

Typical parent-child talk pattern is in my home as well. The older he grows up, the seldom he has a harmonious communication with parents.

All people know that's incorrect, but they do it once after once.

Even so, conversation between him and me remains same all the time: honest and peaceful.

I reassured him that day, regardless of whatever our parents say, I never wanted him to become a specific type of person. What he needs is to grow into his authentic self.

Last night, I heard a podcast?guest spoke about trees. She mentioned that though the world is changing rapidly, witnessing trees turning green and then yellow provides a sense of eternity and brings happiness.

The world is changing too fast.

Parents desire their children to have stable and happy lives.

Lovers wish for their love to last forever.

All these are understandable.

But what kind of person does a child want to be?

What kind of adult do they aspire to become?

That should be decided by themselves. Standards are set to define them, not to decide them.

My younger brother tends to hesitate and overthink things.

Whenever he faces challenges, he retreats like a little snail, and his mind is preoccupied with trivial matters.

What if he can only score a few points in the math exam?

That's just who he is—a child who may not excel in math.

What if he can't achieve something in his whole life??

?That's just who he is—my only ordinary brother.

Anything matters except for him?

He matters most. Others are just others.