The Dragon Beside Me

In the noise of these huge urban areas of Shanghai, and the dreams of life rushing around me, there was this woman who lived as if she into own mythical beasts, with a soul as formidable as a dragon, itself. It was named Li Mei, who was the personification of resilience, love, and the magic of decision-making underneath a mysterious cover of intellectualness.

At the very beginning of acquaintance with Li Mei, she was the ideal for me. She taught me not just pattern of my life, but a woman – a strong, wise and caring woman, forever guiding in the maze of life. Her presence was a continuous proof that every aspiration that counts starts with the person who has made that dream come to reality, for that was what Harriet Tubman said. Li Mei imbibed in me the very fact that I am capable of doing whatever I put my mind to be it self-belief, persistence or passion since all of these things would separate me from the rest of the world.

When I was a child, I used to have a sense of rest when I was close to Li Mei as I could get rid of all of my exhaustion and resentment by listening to her stories about resilience and hard work. Unexpectedly, she was the ship that weathered every storm to be thrown at lesser souls, her soul was not even so much of an inch torn, looking like a phoenix rising from the dead. Through this endless sample of human interactions, Li Mei has shown me that people may forget how we talk, dress, what we do but never what we make them feel. She was the Divine that brought peace to soul of mine during tough times of life; she was a refuge of love and understanding.

Li Mei possessed the kind of influence that made people silent about her, similar to the woman holding the torch in lines of "The New Colossus," a famous poem by Emma Lazarus. She was a backbone where the tired, the poor and the huddled masses who yearned to be free could depend on for a helping hand. Because she felt and dealt with EVERYTHING as it was, forgetting about her own predicament and pain, her deeds said it all when there were no words left. Li Mei displayed this for me, which means that the biggest strength does not lie in the ability to beat physically, but rather, in supporting and bring the people up, in being the bright light in that dark area called life.

While walking through the maze of life I had Li Mei by my side, just like an invisible guardian that would be watching me every now and then with all her revelations and light enhancing gaze. She epitomized Eleanor Roosevelt's metaphorical tea bag, expressing her full plumb of resilience and willpower only under the influence of hostile circumstances. An undying belief in me from her was a source of my own ruggedness. It was providing me with a necessary energy even in the situations I had to fight against.

Nevertheless, what left me with a deep impression was that she was humble as Virginia Woolf theorised that the most anonymous was a woman up to the majority of history. One day at a time, the obsession for superficial things and the desire to be deemed worthy, individually, would withdraw every single inch of validation. It didn't matter to her whether anybody recognized her, or applauded her abilities, or praised her for her achievements and successes. Despite not being known for her great accomplishments or elaborate plans, her enduring legacy is more than that; it is about the numerous hearts she extended a hand of love to.

Today, on the eve of International Women's Day of Dragon 2024, I find myself contemplating the dragon that accompanies me, whose effluence keeps me enriched and elated, and none of which would be possible without the ability to express words.

Although Li Mei's story came to an end, her soul is still alive in the hearts of all people, who knew her and enjoyed to advance with her. She was more than just a woman; she was a power of nature, a dragon whose face lights up the path, as a result, the generation will always witness.

But what is the true substance of life is not those bombastic acts or those aspiring thoughts which may recently flash but not stand in the vast tapestry of innumerable experiences. But it still lays in the somehow little touches of compassion and understanding that are shared by those who are travelling this route with us that the true we're inside. This is where the life begins, there are glimpses of respite and tenderness beyond the frenzy of the chaos, where the most intimate threads are formed unraveling beauty of humanity. In my world, where so many souls come together, Li Mei stands out more than any other of them, a dragon made of tough steel with her fire for breath, but also a protective creature rowling her heat into me in every step i take on the intricate path of life.

Through the language beyond words we convey the background knowledge, send the invisible message that seals us in the braid of loneliness; and I am generated by the anchor to not be drifted even in the stormiest seas. Li Mei, the sanctuary of creced and self-strength, stays unveiling as far as the unstable expanse of being, the dazzling landmark which leads me to the core of my existence by the beating of my heart that sound like the music of the universe.