Did you ever notice your mom's finger nails?
I did. When I was a teenager. I noticed that my mom's forefinger and thumb of her right hand always were black. It seemed that there's something jamming up her nails. So I asked her why didn't she clean her fingers? The first time when I asked the stupid question, and then my mom really went to the sink to wash her nails with soap very carefully. After few minutes later, she said "It was no use to try to clean my nails."
I was too stupid to know the frustation of my mom when her daughter, me, questioned her dirty fingers and really hurt her feelings several times. Yes, several times, when I was a so self-opinionated and thoughtless teenager.
Recently, I always buy vegetables and fruits from markets, and clean them by my own. When I clean those stuffs, I have to pick or twist the bad looking leaves or stems, and those actions make my right forefinger and thumb into dirty and black states.
Tonight, after showering, I inclined my head to look at my fingers and found the thumb of right hand was so "dirty". There's something dirty jamming up it. No matter how hard I tried to wash the right thumb, but I failed. I felt frustrating and worried that people will judge me by the "dirty" thumb and think that I was a slovenly. Of course I am not that kind of person, I know it.
Finally, I realized that mom's "dirty nails" come from, and it's really no use to clean them, cause the "dirty" will continue to exist until.........not to clean vegetables, fruits or any other foodstuffs. But mom can't, she has to prepare meals for family, so she sacrifices her fingers beauty for the whole family.
"Mom, I am so sorry to misconstrue you. I was too selfish to find the reason behind your black nails. Please forgive me." I repeat it in my mind and feel very sorry.
Sometimes people have to experience things to know others' feelings, but this is a stupid and slow way to understand the whole things.
Stupid way, I know it.