Haven’t visited the doctor’s office for a while. Today, as I walked through the entrance, the scent of the office brought back so many bad memories: the countless episodes of asthma attacks, week-long fevers, food allergy tests . . . But this time is different, it’s a well-child check-up. As I waited for the nurse to get the routines done, I noticed the lovely pictures on the wall. The pictures have been there all along, but I never had the leisure to appreciate them in the prior visits.

As my eyes landed on this tiger cub, it reminds me that journeys always have their ups and downs. Days go by despite if you are dragging yourself along in the valley or climbing toward the mountain tops. Disregard the nature of the days, the memory is being knitted. As I look back, it is actually those worrisome moments struggling together that showed Bryant how much I love him.

Every time when I asked him how he remembers my love, he would mention how I took care of him when he was sick. And he always brought up the time when he got transferred to the ER through an ambulance and I chose to accompany him by riding in the ambulance instead of driving in my own car, just to make sure he won't get scared. It was the low moments that touched Bryant's heart more so than the high moments in Lego Land and Disney World.

Yes, the valley moments are always dark and frustrating with despair and may be you are traveling in the middle of one without seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. But take heart, it can well be these moments that imprint in your loved ones’ memory showing them how much you love them. Our tiger cubs won’t remain as cubs for long, let’s embrace all the moments, the ups and downs, to the full.