I once worked as a counselor at an arts academy. Today, I’d like to share a deeply moving story about that time with you.
The beginning of the conflict
After a parent-teacher meeting one evening, a tall, strong-looking dad with a buzz cut and sharp, earnest eyes approached me once the crowd had dispersed. He lowered his voice and asked: “Ms. Dong, may I ask you a question?” “Of course,” I replied.
He began sharing about his son and how, two years earlier, they had a major verbal clash. Amid his rebellious teenage years, the boy had spoken with great disrespect, and the furious man warned him: “Stop talking back — or I will hit you!” The teenager defied him again and, in anger, the father slapped him across the face. From that day onward, the youngster stopped talking to his father.
Having only one son, everything the man had strived for in life, every success he had worked for, was for the sake of his child. It broke his heart to be treated like he didn’t exist. Even when they crossed paths in the house, the boy would ignore him completely. For over two years, any communication had to pass through the mother. Every time the father tried to speak, the youngster would turn and walk away. “Ms. Dong,” he said, “I am in so much pain. I don’t know what to do. Please help me.”
Searching for a solution
I thought: “A relationship frozen for two years won’t thaw overnight.” So I suggested: “Give me some time. Let me work with him during morning sessions, perhaps over a year.” Desperate, he said: “I can’t wait a year. I can’t bear another month — even another week is unbearable.” Seeing his urgency, I proposed: “Alright, let’s try something else. Take your son and wife to see a performance. Go with no expectations, just an open heart.”
I handed him a flyer for the upcoming Shen Yun show. His eyes widened with doubt, as if to ask: “Will this work?”
I explained: “Sometimes in counseling, we use art therapy. Your son plays the cello; maybe a performance like this could help. I can’t promise immediate results, but it may open a door.” In the end, the man bought three tickets. Because of the strained relationship, he drove separately, while his wife and son took a taxi.
Breaking emotional barriers
What happened next was beyond what anyone could have predicted. After the Shen Yun performance, the father offered to drive his family home. To his amazement, his son agreed and got into the car. As the man sat down, ready to start the engine, he heard a voice from the backseat: “Dad, have you eaten yet?”
“Ms. Dong,” he later said to me in a choking voice: “The moment I heard those words, I couldn’t hold back my tears. After more than two years of silence, the first thing my son did was care for my well-being and ask whether I had eaten. In that instant, all the pain and sadness vanished.”
He called me immediately to share the news, overflowing with emotion. And that wasn’t all — after that night, the boy changed dramatically. He used to ignore his mother’s calls when it was time to go home and eat. Now, he helps her with house cleaning and even washes vegetables and rice when she cooks. A gentle light has returned to their home.
The father asked me: “How could this happen?” I replied: “I’m not exactly sure, but maybe I can talk to your son and find out.”
Healing through a story
Later, I sat down with the boy. He told me: “The Shen Yun performance was beautiful, but what moved me the most was the story ‘Splitting the Mountain to Rescue Mother.'”
In the story, Shen Xiang’s heavenly mother was imprisoned inside a mountain by divine forces after marrying a mortal, a union forbidden by heavenly law. Shen Xiang’s uncle, Erlang Shen, sealed the mountain with a giant stone. Shen Xiang trained tirelessly to rescue his mother, who was enduring hardship without rest. Watching this, the boy reflected: “Shen Xiang was so young, yet he knew how to honor and love his parents. And what about me?” When Shen Xiang finally matured and fought his uncle, he found a brief opportunity to use a magical axe to split open the mountain and free his mother.
The boy told me: “At that moment, it was as if the heavy stone in my heart shattered too. I knew that I was wrong, but my pride kept me silent. I didn’t know how to speak to my father, and that made me even more miserable. When I saw the stone split open on stage, I felt everything could be let go of. I didn’t know what to say — so I asked: ‘Dad, have you eaten yet?’ “
Spiritual awakening through art
Family conflicts are often the most complex wounds to heal. But through the power of art — and a message of love, perseverance, and forgiveness — this father and son found their way back to each other. May more people have the heart and fortune to encounter Shen Yun and find healing, inspiration, and renewed hope.
Translated by Katy Liu and edited by Laura Cozzolino
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