A Magic Blanket

Maria and Michael are heading for a divorce over a trivial disagreement. Maria, born to a Taiwanese parent was actually raised by her grandma. Her dad deserted her family when she was 4; her mom died of an illness 2 years later. In college, Maria met and fell in love to a quite good looking American, Michael, who taught English in Taiwan. When Maria was married to Michael 5 years ago, the grandma treated Michael very well. As a result, Michael respected grandma even to the day when Maria proposed to Michael for a divorce.

"Why we don't go to see grandma and tell her what we are heading to."

Maria agrees. When both Maria and Michael told the grandma about their decision to divorce, grandma was silent for a while then said to them.

" It is getting late; why don't you stay here overnight. I have one bed room for both of you. Yes, I know you don't have to sleep together too close, but I want you both to be covered by the same big, and warm blanket. You know, even in Taiwan, the winter can be very, very cold."

Due to respect, Maria and Michael agreed. When they lay down on the bed and covered by the big and warm blanket, they soon fell asleep. The blanket turned out to be a magic blanket. Together they flew in the sky and over the world.

Their first stop was the breakfast shop in the Pingtong City of Taiwan. A woman about 60 years old was selling her best and the most popular dumpling. After they had enjoyed the very delicious dumpling, they had conversation with this dumpling lady.

" My name is Su-Jing. I am 63 years old. I was widowed 4 years ago, then I had the ovarian cancer. By the time of diagnosis, the cancer had advanced to the stage-4 ovarian cancer. After the diagnosis, my doctor told me that I had only 6 months to live. But, I have outlived my predicament by almost 2 years. Do you want to know my secret?"

" Sure, we would like to know your secret. Please tell us how you did it?"

" My secret is that I have my purpose of my life. My purpose is to make the best dumpling at the Ping-Tong city. Every morning, I wake up at 3:00 AM to make dumpling for my customers so that I can bring my hot and delicious dumpling to the market. When my customers enjoy the dumpling and gave me compliment and their appreciation; they are the best and the most effective cancer therapy. This is why I am still alive today."

“I want to share this secret to everyone I met; and I wish my husband is around to celebrate this life with me.” Su-Jing continued to say.

Maria and Michael said thank you to Su-Jing. After they disappeared from the crowd, the magic blanket flew them to a senior village in Nan-Tou. At the senior citizen village, they saw some seniors work in the garden, tending the vegetable. Some of them were playing chess under the shade of a big tree. The other were having tea and had small conversation. Everyone was having good time. Maria and Michael managed to have someone told them the story of this village.


" My name is Ju-yuan. I have lived here since 1995. I wonder you still remember the most tragic earthquake in Taiwan on September 21 of 1995. Many villages at Nan-Tou county were destroyed. Through government help, many young folks were able to find work and re-settle to their own homes. This was not the case for the old folks like us. We are feeble, and we lack skills to find jobs and re-settle in the community. A young Budda-mind gentleman had bought this property and help us settle here. Here, we have a community, we are socially connected, we have garden work to do, and we are self-sufficient."

" You know, last year, I had tried to live with my son in a big city. During the day, the young couple work, and all the young kids go to school. My son did not want me to be lost in the big city, and had designed a special lock. One day, I was locked out all day until my son came home. After that incidence, I was almost living in a luxurious prison, and had no one to speak to during the day. I was not happy at all. This is why I decide to come back to this senior village and have a good sense of my life".

“Companionship is essential for the well-being, young fellows.” Ju-Yuan said.

Maria and Michael said good-bye to Ju-Yuen, and the magic blanket brought them to an art studio where he saw an artist was painting portrait from a very old photo. The photo consisted a couple and an infant. The mother was holding the infant. Curious, Maria asked the artist the story about the photo.

"My name is Ting-Kai. The photo was taken in 1937 and the infant in the photo was me. In 1937, I had a serious pneumonia infection. The doctor said that they had no medicine to save my life. Desperate, my mom asked my dad to seek a direction from a fortune-teller in a near-by village. You know my mom was very superstitious and she knew she absolutely had no strength to stand it up should the fortune teller told her the bad news. My dad obediently followed my mom's request. Three hours later, my dad returned home, happily told my mom that the fortune teller told me the child will live"

" Happily, my parent rushed back to the hospital begging the doctor to try to save the child one more time. Out of compassion, the doctor accepted my parent's request and tried the medicine one more time. Miraculously, I was healed"

" My parent was so happy to see me come back alive and decided to ask a photographer to take this photo when I was out of the hospital even it was very expensive to have a photograph taken in 1937."

" Many years later, after my mom passed away in 1972, my dad gave me this photo and told me about the story behind this photo."

"Did you really go to see the fortune teller, I asked because my dad never believe in fortune teller".

"No, I did not. I just had a few drinks to release my stress. I lied to your mom; but actually, this white lie did actually save your life"

“It is the love from my parent and the faith that saved my life.” Ting-Kai said to Maria and Michael.

Maria and Michael said thanks and good by to the artist. The magic blanket brought them back to the grandma's bed room. They both woke up from the same dream.

" How was your dream? Are you heading to the court to proceed with the divorce?" Grandma asked.

Maria and Michael looked at each other, smiling and hugging each other. They learned so much about love, companionship, faith, and purpose of life in this dream. They agreed to start over for their marriage, and divorce no more.