“The strongest people know what not to touch.” This lesson came from my brother, a soldier. He spent his younger years in the battlefield, braveman, with disciplined and strong.
But behind that tough image, he has always been a kind, gentle, and warm-hearted person. Someone who truly understood the boundaries and principles he believed in.
Time flies, years pass, but those memories still feel warm in my mind. Back when I was still in vocational high school (STM), he once told me:
“Gus, never smoke. Never drink alcohol. And never get close to drugs.”
Just like the day he threw me into the river to teach me how to swim. At that time, it sounded very strict. Somehow, those words went straight into my heart.
A sincere advice, spoken with genuine care, became a shield that protected me as I grew up and faced a real life. Living far away from home (merantau) to Palembang, Jakarta until Beijing and Xuzhou, those words often echoed in my mind, becoming “clear signs and boundaries” that I chose to obey. And today, time flies, after all these years, we meet again. Older, wiser, with more stories carried by time. But one thing never changed: some advice from people who truly love you will stay with you forever.
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