Let her gain a large number of fans, a 800000 word "nursing home diary" life | Wang Peifu | Diary
A tablet, a quiet room. Every day, Wang Peifu, an octogenarian, spends several hours writing a diary. For over two years, she wrote down her observations, feelings, and thoughts in the nursing home, with a total word count of over 800000, and thus gained a large number of fans.
01
"Writing a diary is a way to cultivate oneself"
Easy brushstrokes and witty descriptions can be seen everywhere in Wang Peifu's diary. She depicted a mother-in-law suffering from Alzheimer's disease in this way——
"We have a mischievous mother-in-law here who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. When she is in a bad mood, she will curse a few words. As time goes on, when she scolds, she speaks more clearly and her voice becomes louder. I think this is progress and a good thing, indicating that this mother-in-law has good energy and spirit."
This diary titled "Mirror" records her conversation with a 90 year old man in a nursing home.
"I asked her how old she really was and whether she knew it or not. She simply answered that I didn't know, and told me that I had left all these things to the children to manage. I also asked her how old the children were. She said how much I had left them to manage, and how old did I still manage them? Let them manage it themselves. It was really amazing! I suddenly realized that the secret to longevity is to forget one's own age."
The main tone of Wang Peifu's diary is to calmly face the troubles and pains in life, and to optimistically explore the positive aspects.
Living in a nursing home, elderly people inevitably have some minor friction. Wang Peifu has a diary that tells the story of her unpleasant experience with Grandma Wang over a small matter.
"Whether to be angry or not depends not on the weight of this sentence, but on the listener's mood. When in a bad mood, interpret a good word as bad, and when in a good mood, interpret others' insults as good."
Upon learning that this past event had been written in her diary, Grandma Wang couldn't help but laugh and cry. She exclaimed, "If you're not angry, there won't be much after that."
"By writing, I was able to express things that were difficult to say before, and the lid was lifted, truly opening up my heart." Wang Peifu said, "Being able to give others some inspiration, I feel like I have achieved my goal. Writing a diary is actually a cultivation for myself, and now I have learned how to step back from the tip of an ox's horn."
02
A diary that brings mother and son's hearts closer together
Wang Peifu is 84 years old this year and used to be a primary school math teacher before retiring. After her husband passed away in 2018, she began living with her children. Although her children are filial, they are still busy with work. Wang Peifu, who often stays at home alone, feels a bit lonely. After careful consideration, she decides to live in a nursing home.
After arriving at the nursing home, Wang Peifu felt like she was "returning to campus". Eating and exercising with peers makes her feel comfortable and comfortable.
However, for Wang Peifu's children, an elderly mother who leaves her sight and enters an unfamiliar environment is inevitably worried. When Wang Peifu first arrived at the nursing home, several children took turns caring, and her phone calls were one after another, to the point where she couldn't even play cards quietly. So Wang Peifu said to the children, "I'll write about it. Every night, I'll show you what I do for the day."
In order to help her children understand her life in a nursing home, Wang Peifu started writing diaries in March 2021. From initially recording three meals a day and daily life, to later sharing stories of nursing homes and reminiscing about her youth experiences, her diary became increasingly rich in content.
Wang Peifu's son said that since his father's death, he feels that his mother's words have become less and less, but later he found out that his mother really wants to communicate. "Through her diary, we have grasped her thoughts and needs, and our family relationship has been elevated, bringing our hearts closer."
A diary has become a communication bridge between mother and child. In the past, the interaction between mother and son was mostly about caring about life; Nowadays, through diaries, they have gained more spiritual communication and companionship. The children gradually saw the changes in their mother: although she was getting older, her optimistic attitude made her live younger and younger.
03
Words light up oneself and also warm others
Wang Peifu's son has gradually posted his mother's diary to his family and social media, but unexpectedly, the number of readers has increased.
Her peers in the nursing home are all following her to update her diary, and Wang Peifu's former student has also become her loyal fan. Different people have different insights when reading Wang Peifu's words, and each diary has become a small expectation in everyone's life.
Xie Zhonghui, 69 years old in the nursing home, is one of Wang Peifu's loyal readers. Due to her husband's sudden stroke and the need to take care of her, she had to stay in a nursing home after retiring to play around. At first, she was very uncomfortable with this kind of life.
Later, Xie Zhonghui met Wang Peifu and gradually found comfort and inspiration in her diary. "After figuring it out, my heart didn't feel so suppressed anymore. I just planted some flowers and plants in the nursing home, and everyone felt happy."
In addition to offline readers, Wang Peifu's diary has also attracted the attention of many netizens. "There are some fans that I still don't know, but we talk very intimately, and there are also those who argue against you." Wang Peifu said, "I also like those who have negative opinions, they are very helpful to me. It's all trivial to talk about, but there are also reasons behind trivial matters."
Writing a diary has made Wang Peifu more friends. She swims freely in the world of words, turning the subtle moments of life into poetic words, illuminating herself and warming others.
At present, Wang Peifu has completed 766 diaries, totaling over 800000 words.
"Every time I encounter obstacles and difficulties in my life, after finishing writing, I feel a sense of relief. I feel that I am no longer alone and have taken the initiative in life. I think this is the truly free person," said Wang Peifu.
