What kind of life is truly meaningful?

Yesterday, I had a long phone call with my best friend. It’s been ten years—we seem to have changed, and yet, in some ways, nothing has changed at all.

She said her villa is almost finished, they're painting the walls now, and she asked me, "What color do you want for your room?" I laughed and said there’s no need to save a room for me—I have my own place to live.

She replied seriously, "No way, I have to save you a room. Come whenever you want." Then she muttered to herself, "Let’s paint it princess pink. To me, you’ll always be a little princess."

Suddenly, I felt a bit dazed. We’ve known each other for ten years, supported each other through our lowest points, and shared our deepest secrets. But because we’re both so busy, most of the time we can only check in through our screens, and we usually only get to meet up properly once a year during the holidays.

Over the years, she’s worked her way up to buy herself a house, a car, and last year, a villa. I’ve also got my own house and car—of course, compared to her, I’m still behind. After all, I don’t have a villa, haha.

We both come from ordinary families. Since we were young, we were taught that "if you fall behind, you’ll get left behind," so we never dared to stop, always pushing ourselves forward. She studies legal documents during her work breaks; I study psychology after work.

We’re always "making progress," but we’re also always pushing ourselves, as if nothing interests us except for growth and making money. At the end of the call, she said, "I’ve almost saved enough for the renovations. What should I do next?" I joked, "If nothing else works out, you can support me." She said, "Sure, just help me pray to Buddha more, so I can get rich and support you sooner."

We both laughed, but then fell silent for a moment. It seems like we always know how to keep moving forward, but rarely ask ourselves where we’re headed. Why don’t we ever stop for a moment?

Sometimes, I really feel exhausted. When I’m tired, I wonder: besides making progress, what else gives life meaning? Maybe the answer isn’t up high, but in the hearts of those who’d save you a room and paint it princess pink.

They make you realize that even if the whole world is pushing you to grow up, there will always be a corner where you can safely be a little princess.

Running forward is important, but knowing why you run, and for whom you stay, might be even more important.