(Minghui.org) I nearly had a mental breakdown in 1998. I was only 20 years old. Fortunately, I heard about Falun Dafa and soon became healthy, optimistic, and kind. Falun Dafa renewed my life, and I’m grateful to compassionate Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa. Without Dafa, I can’t imagine what my life would be today.
Teenage Girl in Trouble
I’m the only child in my family. My mother lost her mother when she was only five years old. Growing up without maternal love herself, my mother devoted herself to me. She loved me and took good care of me. In turn, I loved her and was very much attached to her. My father had a quick temper and I didn’t get along with him.
When I was 17 my mother was diagnosed with late stage brain cancer. I was at boarding school in another city at the time. The family worried how I would take the news, so they didn’t tell me. It wasn’t until my mother’s condition worsened, that they took me to the hospital to see her.
I was not mentally prepared, and when I saw her I was crushed. My dear mother was dying. I no longer had anyone to lean on. I spent most of my days staring into space. My heart felt like a black hole. Tears streamed down my face when I saw other children with their mothers. When I watched TV and a mother became ill in a show, I sobbed. Walking by places where I spent happy times with my mother brought back memories. The world turned gray for me, and when anyone mentioned cancer I refused to listen.
I was close to a mental collapse. I could not sleep or eat. Listening to my roommates chatting made me anxious. I couldn’t sleep most of the night, but was able to doze off for a little bit before daybreak. My childhood friends hardly recognized me because my face was covered with acne.
Dafa Brought Me Happiness
Because my mother could no longer work, my father had to pay her medical bills and support me with his meager income. During the summer break in 1998, I took a waitress job at a restaurant. The chef practiced Falun Dafa. He had a positive outlook on life and was kind to others. He read Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, during his breaks.
When he heard about my family’s situation, he recommended I read Zhuan Falun and said, “You’ll understand everything after you finish the book. You won’t be in so much pain anymore. If you do the exercises, you’ll regain your health gradually as well.” Once I began reading Zhuan Falun, I couldn’t put it down.
As a child, I often thought: where do people go after they die? Does death mean disappearing from the earth? Answers to these questions were crystal clear after I finished reading Zhuan Falun. I was able to face my mother’s illness, and understood that everything happens because of predestined reasons.
A few days later, the new school year started. Every morning, I did the Falun Dafa exercises in our local park at 4 a.m. I then rushed back to school. While my roommates went to bed at “lights out,” I meditated. Afterwards, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. No more insomnia! I woke up refreshed. My appetite returned and my days went by smoothly.
The acne on my face was gone with no trace of scarring. My skin was smooth. My aunt said, “Your complexion is so good.” My roommates said that I looked prettier.
Because I was busy with classes during the day, I studied the Fa during my break time.
Even though I spent less time studying, my grades improved. I was able to focus in class and absorb the content quickly. By the end of the term, my rank in class went from 30th to 3rd. My teachers and classmates were happy for me! One classmate said, “After she began practicing Falun Dafa she became quite extraordinary.”
In the past, I was shy and avoided speaking in public. One time I was so nervous that my classmates roared with laughter. Since practicing Falun Dafa, I changed. I was able to keep my stress levels in check, even when I was nervous. I was able to give a speech with clarity and animation. When conflicts arose, I was able to explain the situation calmly without getting caught up in loss or gain. My ability to express myself improved. I gradually became more optimistic, intelligent, and generous, and was no longer my anxious and pessimistic old self. Life was great after I stopped feeling depressed.
It has been 26 years since I started practicing Falun Dafa. In that time, I have had no need to take any medications as I am healthy and in good spirits, as if I had not aged much at all. Whenever my six-foot tall son calls me “Mom,” strangers seem surprised and ask, “What did he call you?” Sometimes people even mistook my husband for my father. My husband and son became used to these kinds of comments.
Besides physical health, Falun Dafa benefited my mental health even more. Master Li taught us to use the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance as our guide, and to consider others first.
After getting married, my husband and I lived with my husband’s parents. My mother-in-law and I got along as if we were mother and daughter. My good health and easy-going personality were an asset to my whole family. Dafa gave me a second chance in life and a happy family.
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