ESG News

Shared by volunteer / Tzu-Hsuen Liu

The lively and innocent smiles of the children warmed up this wet and cold winter day. This was my first time participating in the Night Lighting Angel activity, which was different from the past, when the volunteers and children took separate buses to arrive at the destination. This time, we were with the children from the beginning of the journey. When I climbed up into the bus, the children’s enthusiastic laughter and polite greetings warmed up my heart. For me, participating in the Night Lighting Angel activity is like being a guest of a big happy family. The children, teachers and even the team leaders were familiar with each other. Everyone was looking forward to this once-a-year family outing. With the children’s enthusiasm, I also became a part of this big family, starting our one-day trip to Huludun, Fengyuan.

From making a CNC mobile phone stand in the morning to crafting lacquer plates in the afternoon, I appreciated the children’s curiosity about new things and their courage to try. I also witnessed the awakening of these children’s self-awareness. They knew what they like and what they don’t like. They even appreciated and stayed faithful to their own choices instead of listening to the opinions of others. I remembered when painting on the lacquer plate in the afternoon, we first used nut lacquer to stamp leaf veins onto the lacquer plate, and then painted it with different colored powders. A little girl who was on my team, Jun-Jun, chose different colors to paint in each block of the leaf veins. At that time, she kept telling me while painting, “the colors may look strange to others, but I think it looks beautiful. I want to choose the colors that I like. It’s OK if I’m the only person who likes it.” When I heard her saying this, I not only admired her thought of being dedicated to what she loves, but it also made me ask myself, “What about my choice? Will I select my favorite colorful painting that is different from everyone else, or will I select the one that everyone else chooses, just to agree with other people’s opinions and aesthetic perceptions? Do I follow my heart and thoughts? Do I look at every decision with appreciation? Am I living out the uniqueness of my own creation or am I slowly becoming something ordinary in the world?” I asked myself many questions, and many more are still being asked. I am very grateful that the experience of the Night Lighting Angel activity today has also become a gift that helps me trigger new senses, perspectives, and experiences through the process of seeking. I look forward to continuing to meet these children with love for the coming new year, not only to accompany them as they grow, but to also help myself learn.