美中时间，星期四下午14:53。 US Central Time, Thursday, 2:53 PM.

又到了内布拉斯加的春天，阳光明媚，微风拂面，本该令人心旷神怡，但最近我的心情却难以轻松起来。也许是日复一日单调的生活，也许是连续几个月每天早晨五点钟就要起床，睡眠严重不足的缘故吧。 Spring has arrived again in Nebraska with bright sunshine and gentle breezes—a time that should lift one’s spirits. Yet lately, I’ve found it hard to feel truly at ease. Perhaps it’s the monotonous day-to-day routine, or maybe it’s the toll of having to wake up at 5:00 AM every morning for several months, leaving me severely sleep-deprived.

Tiki察觉到我的情绪低落，便温柔地提醒我：“你需要找点兴趣爱好。你喜欢做些什么呢？”我下意识地回答：“I don’t know。”确实，我突然意识到，自己已经很久没有做任何真正感兴趣的事情了。日常的所有时间似乎都被工作、家庭和带娃占据，我甚至忘了自己曾经热爱的是什么。 Tiki sensed my low mood and gently remarked, “You need to find a hobby. What is it that you enjoy doing?” Instinctively, I replied, “I don’t know.” In that moment, it hit me—I hadn’t engaged in anything I truly loved for a very long time. It seemed every moment was swallowed up by work, family, and taking care of the kids; I had even forgotten what I once cherished.

Tiki提醒道：“我记得你喜欢院子里的活儿呀。” Then Tiki reminded me, “I remember you loved working in the yard.”

我这才猛然惊醒，是啊！我居然忘了自己喜欢种菜这件事！ That was my wake-up call. How could I have forgotten that I enjoy gardening?

于是，我毫不犹豫地拿起铲子，迈步走向院子，准备把那些陈旧的泥土都换掉。刚踏出家门，就看见院子里的蒲公英早已盛开，金黄的花瓣在阳光下闪耀着生命的光彩。我开始动手翻土，看着去年种下的番茄、黄瓜和哈密瓜，回忆便如潮水般涌来：记得刚播种时的兴奋与期待，那些心心念念盼望收获果实的日子。 Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed my shovel and stepped out into the yard, ready to replace the old soil. As soon as I left the house, I noticed the dandelions in the yard had already bloomed, their golden petals glistening under the sunlight with a vibrant display of life. I began to work the soil, and as I looked at the tomatoes, cucumbers, and cantaloupes I had planted the previous year, memories surged like a tide—the excitement and anticipation of the planting days, and those moments spent eagerly waiting for the harvest.

此刻，天空湛蓝，白云悠闲，泥土芬芳，草坪翠绿。我的脑海里再没有编程的代码、系统的设计、复杂的功能实现，也没有纷扰的“国际大事”、“新闻”、甚至“关税”。原来当我关掉手机时，那些遥远的事情与我竟然毫无关系。我甚至有些茫然地想：自己最初为何要来美国读博士，又为何选择了计算机专业？仅仅是为了赚钱吗？若真如此，为何现在的我，并没有因为赚钱而感到特别开心呢？ At that moment, the sky was a deep blue, the clouds drifted lazily, the earth exuded a fresh aroma, and the lawn was lush and green. My mind was completely free of programming code, system designs, and complex functionalities—not to mention the distractions of “international affairs,” “news,” or even “tariffs.” I realized that once I turned off my phone, those distant issues were no longer connected to me. I even found myself wondering, almost in bewilderment, why I had initially come to the United States to pursue a PhD and choose computer science. Was it all just for the money? If that were the case, why didn’t I feel any special joy from earning it?

对啊，赚钱的最终目的，不就是为了让自己有更多的时间去做喜欢的事情吗？ After all, isn’t the ultimate purpose of making money to have more time to do the things we love?

我一边翻着土，一边惊奇地发现原来泥土里还藏着蚯蚓，以及各种我叫不上名字的小昆虫。如果今天我没有拿起铲子，也许永远不会注意到它们的存在。 As I continued digging, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the soil was teeming with earthworms and various little insects whose names I couldn’t even recall. Had I not picked up my shovel today, I might have never noticed them.

想到这里，我的心情突然轻盈了许多，仿佛心底积蓄已久的郁结被轻轻化解了。没错，我确实喜欢种地啊！生活，本就不应该只围着工作和赚钱打转，而是应该认真感受每一天，认真做自己真正热爱的事。 This realization lifted my spirits immensely, as if the long-held burdens in my heart were gently dissolving. Yes, I truly do love gardening! Life isn’t meant to be solely about work and making money; it’s about savoring each day and wholeheartedly pursuing what you love.

抬头看了看手表，时针已悄然指向16:10，又到了该回电脑前继续工作的时间了。但此时此刻，我却感觉自己的内心已然不同。 Glancing up at my watch, I noticed it was now 4:10 PM—time to return to my computer and resume work. Yet, at that moment, I felt a deep change within me.

看来今天的这场劳作，收获的不仅仅是新鲜的泥土，更是一份失而复得的快乐和对生活的崭新认识。往后的日子里，我也要经常来到院子里，继续认真地、快乐地种地。 It seems that today’s labor yielded not just fresh soil, but also a rediscovered joy and a renewed perspective on life. In the days ahead, I intend to spend more time in the yard, gardening earnestly and joyfully.