For a long time, my Chinese New Year was always at my grandma’s house. It was full of fun and excitement. Even when I moved, I always went back there on New Year’s Day.
New Year’s Eve was the best party. At midnight, loud firecrackers went off. They didn’t scare me; they made me feel happy. I would watch the adults and smell the food and incense. It felt like a big festival. I could stay up late, so I thought the New Year was only real at my grandma’s house.
The next morning was calm. We put on new clothes and lined up to wish our grandparents a happy new year. My grandma would smile, and her eyes would be full of love. Then she would give us red envelopes.
I loved getting her red envelope the most. It was always the biggest and heaviest one. It made me feel so happy.
Years later, I learned why her envelope was so big. My parents didn’t have a lot of money back then. My grandma worried I wouldn’t have pocket money like the other kids. She didn’t want to just give money to my parents, so she put her love and care for me inside that red envelope.
At that moment, I realized it wasn’t just money. It was her quiet and gentle love. She didn’t say much, but she always took care of me.
My grandma is gone now, so I can’t get that special envelope anymore. But the warm feeling from it is still in my heart. It’s a memory I will always have.
