(Minghui.org) Things at home changed while I was illegally imprisoned. My husband divorced me. He has since remarried and has a son. My daughter has lived with her grandparents for the last few years, and is now very tall. My relatives feel sorry for me. They said that I gained nothing from the marriage, and didn't even receive a penny from the divorce settlement. I thought differently. I was worried that because of my imprisonment, my ex-husband's family would have a bad impression of Dafa and couldn't be saved.
I let go of my selfishness and continued to help them understand the facts about the persecution of Falun Dafa. While I was in prison, my in-laws took very good care of my daughter. I'm grateful for what they did and know that they were under a lot of pressure from the persecution. Because I had not been with my daughter, she treated me like a stranger. When we first reunited, we didn't know what to say to each other. I understand the negative impact a broken family has on children, and this is caused by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Gong.
I also blamed myself for not having enough righteous thoughts to negate the CCP's harm on my family. At first, my daughter was upset and rarely talked to me. When I picked her up from school, she would respond angrily, saying her father would scold her if he saw us together. She would walk in front of me and ignore me. I was not upset and just followed her, and talked to her in a soft tone. We continued this routine for a while, and I kept communicating with my in-laws. Although my in-laws have always liked me, they couldn't fathom why I persisted in practicing Falun Dafa. I continued to walk my daughter to my in-laws' home after school, and she gradually opened up and began to talk to me. I realized that when I applied my wisdom from cultivating in Dafa, I could melt the iceberg between us.
I was not condescending. I didn't impose my views on her, and encouraged her to discuss her point of view. I was very careful when talking about her father and her step mother. I never criticized them, and talked about their strong points. Her father is a responsible person, and I praised him in front of my daughter. When her step brother was born, she felt ignored and was not happy about it. I reminded her to love others as she would love herself, and to treat others with kindness. When she had difficulty with school work, I shared with her my understandings. Eventually, she was able to discard her grudges and enjoy her life.
Our relationship has since become harmonious and we talk about everything. When we meet, the first thing we say to each other is, “I have something to tell you...” She was worried about not doing well in school, and it became a burden for her. I comforted her and encouraged her to quit the Young Pioneers. I also encouraged her to earnestly recite “Falun Dafa is good and Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” to be blessed. She did very well in her graduation examination.
I'm grateful for Master's teachings, or I wouldn't have a harmonious relationship with my in-laws. When my father-in-law was hospitalized for two weeks, I visited him every day and gave him money. I did what I was supposed to do and put others before myself. My actions probably touched my daughter. She wrote in her class essay, “The hair stylist cut my hair too short, and I was very upset about it. But the lady that washed my hair spoke softly like my mother, and I felt good immediately and calmed down.”
I get along well with my daughter's step mother, because my heart is open and I wish her well. We often stop and chat when we run into each other. Regrettably, I have not had the opportunity to talk to her about quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations yet.
I have many friends and classmates in my hometown, and I have focused on clarifying the truth to them in person. At first I gave them printed materials to read, but I was not able to tell if they read it and understood it. But after I talked to them, I was able to find out what was blocking them and shared with them my thoughts. Many acquaintances are busy and often refuse to take the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, claiming they don't have time to read. We can't force them to read it either. However, most of them were willing to take the material when I briefly talked about the content.
Only when we study the Fa well, can we find out what is blocking them. Another advantage of talking to people in person is that we can suggest a nice “pen name” to help them quit the party immediately. It might take them longer to quit if we ask them to call or do it online. I think that clarifying the truth in person is a faster and more effective way to save sentient beings.
The above is my understanding. Please kindly point out anything inappropriate. I will be diligent on my cultivation path.