(Minghui.org) I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner in my fifties. I have experienced many traumatizing tribulations throughout my life. I suffered every day throughout the six years of my first marriage. My ex-husband had an affair and seldom came home. He didn't care about me or our son. His salary wasn't enough, so he often demanded that I give him money. Despite all the sacrifices I endured to keep our marriage together, he divorced me.
I felt lost after decades of emotional trauma, especially my painful marriage. I was exhausted and did not understand why I had to endure so much. I was attractive, had a good job, had done well in school, and I was a responsible wife and mother. Looking for an answer I read many books about life, fate, and even fortune telling, but I was still confused. I couldn't understand why my fate in life seemed so unfair.
Fortunately, in 1997 I had the opportunity to read the book Zhuan Falun. I began to understand why my life seemed so unfair and many of my questions were answered. The sadness and heavy emotional burden that I had carried for years melted away. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and I no longer complained.
My current husband and I were married in 1999. He's short-tempered, very critical and has offended many people, including his friends.
My husband didn't get along with his Ph.D. adviser. At one point his adviser accused my husband of stealing books. He refused to believe him and would not listen to his explanations. My husband became so angry that he almost had a heart attack. He phoned me out of frustration.
I told him, “Everything, good or bad, happens for a reason. Think about how you've treated others. You laughed at them and verbally abused them without caring how it made them feel. How we treat people eventually comes back to us. It's called karmic retribution. When you think about how you've treated others, do you still feel you're being wronged?”
My husband calmed down. He said, “Thank you! You are my adviser!” I told him it's the wisdom I've learned from Falun Dafa and he should thank Dafa and Master Li (the founder).
Falun Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance have given me a bigger heart. My son has observed that I don't fight with others.
Ever since the Chinese Communist Party launched the persecution of Falun Dafa my family has endured a lot of suffering. I completely understand them and feel their pain. I was arrested four times for practicing Falun Dafa from 1999 to 2001 and was put into a forced labor camp for two years after the fourth arrest. My son was only eleven at the time. He stayed with his step-grandparents during my first three short imprisonments. He had enjoyed a good relationship with my second husband and his parents.
After I was taken to the labor camp, my husband told my son that he couldn't take care of him and told him to go live with his biological grandparents. My son wouldn't leave. My father-in-law sternly drove my son out. My son felt very hurt because he had regarded them as his own family. He left in tears.
I was deeply saddened after I was released from the labor camp and heard how my son had been treated, but I didn't blame them. All of us were victims of the persecution after all. I told my son, “Forgive your grandpa. He has two grandchildren of his own to take care of. Adding another would have been a burden. Though he was stern to you, you have to be considerate, because he was under pressure from the Party. Master Li has asked us not to hold grudges. It's a criteria for being compassionate. You are a compassionate child, so don't hold grudges.” My son eventually forgave them.
My son is an adult now and has read Dafa's teachings. He is very supportive and proud that I practice Falun Dafa. His girlfriend has learned about Dafa through him and really enjoys watching the Shen Yun Performing Arts shows. Whenever she has trouble or is confused about something, she talks to me about it. I patiently help her. She always says, “I'm lucky to have met you and your son!” I told her that Dafa has given me wisdom and all of us are grateful for it.
Practicing Falun Dafa has made me compassionate. My son has witnessed how I've handled things differently from ordinary people. His biological grandma passed away and left thousands of yuan to my son and his aunt. His aunt asked my son to loan her his share so she could renovate her house. My son asked me if he should loan her the money. I told him he should, no matter if his aunt returns the money or not. My son said, “Mom, I'm proud of you! You always view things differently from others.”
My son is now a Ph.D. student. He is outgoing and open-minded, and his adviser praises him. After his girlfriend read some of Falun Dafa's teachings, she's happier and is also doing well in school. Both of them told me that they feel very fortunate to know Dafa.
Everyone in my family and my husband's family has quit the Communist organizations. There are so many examples of how they've been blessed.
One time, while my son rode his bike home a jeep crashed into him. His bike wheel was bent backward, but my son wasn't hurt and he even carried his bike home.
My sister had a low fever for a week. The doctors couldn't find what was wrong. I brought her some Shen Yun DVDs. After she watched them that evening, her fever was gone.
My brother-in-law is a service technician at an electrical plant. He knows Falun Dafa is good and he knows he's protected. One time, he was driving on a highway when he lost control of his car. All the people with him in the car were terrified, but they were not injured.
My husband's family constantly fought with each other before I married him. Their arguments usually became so heated that my father-in-law used to tip over the dinner table out of anger every Chinese New Year, but he hasn't done that since my husband and I were married.
My mother-in-law once had a dispute with a neighbor over a patch of land. I kindly persuaded her to stop fighting. The neighbor was sure that I would join in the fight and side with my mother-in-law. She was relieved and surprised when my mother-in-law smiled and stopped arguing. Ever since then, the neighbor has always been very friendly with us.
Falun Dafa has benefited my family and our society. I hope that all people will understand Dafa and choose a bright future for themselves.