A heartwarming family photo of Sun Yingsha shows the three of them taking turns in the spotlight, creating a warm and happy scene. Her mother, with high beauty, looks like a sister to Sun Yingsha!
I have looked at those four family photos several times, and the more I look, the more I feel this family is very “down-to-earth.” In the photo, Dad sits in the middle, smiling happily, while Mom is gentle and generous when she takes the spotlight. When it’s Shasha’s turn to be sandwiched between them, she immediately turns into a cute little girl, her mouth curving up as if she could hang an oil bottle.
This simple game of swapping positions clearly illustrates the meaning of “family”—no one is always the center, but everyone is a cherished treasure.
That little girl on the court, who can intimidate others with her gaze, might suddenly pull out a handmade card at home or simply hang her gold medal around her mother’s neck, saying, “Here you go, you have what other kids have too.” Just thinking about it makes my nose feel sour.
To be honest, what I envy the most is not how sweet their smiles are, but the tacit understanding of “no one steals anyone’s thunder.” Even if Dad smiles foolishly, his eyes always drift towards his wife; even if Mom stands at the edge, her hand quietly protects Shasha’s back; and Shasha, needless to say, automatically puts away her fierce demeanor and turns into a little girl who knows how to be cute as soon as she gets close to her parents.
When I take photos with my family, my dad always pushes my mom to the center, and my mom pulls me forward, resulting in the three of us squished together, with the photo only capturing our laughter—this shows that happy families all have the same clumsy and sincere way of positioning for the center.
So, there’s no such thing as a natural champion; it’s just that parents first see their children as “people” and then nurture them as “seeds.”
Shasha’s powerful shots contain the steadiness taught by her dad, the gentleness of her mom, and the confidence that comes from being well-loved. May we all pass this confidence on to our next generation intact.
Both of Sun Yingsha’s parents are working individuals, and now that their daughter has achieved success, it’s clear that the whole family has a gentle demeanor.
In the Sun family, there are no rigid rules about who should stand in the center for photos: this time Mom takes the spotlight, Dad naturally steps aside, next time Dad sits in the middle, and Mom smiles as she moves back, and the next time they push Shasha to the center of the camera, like two satellites orbiting a little sun.
This unremarkable little action actually conveys a profound truth—there is no one who is always the biggest in the family, nor is there anyone who must yield to anyone else. All three treat each other with respect, and that’s what makes a family.
I looked at the photos and remembered taking family portraits when I was young; my grandfather wouldn’t sit down, and none of us dared to move; later, when I came along, the elders would push me to the center, as if being in the wrong position would mean being unfilial or unloved.
In retrospect, that fixed center position created a sense of tension, making everyone stiff, and the smiles were polite.
The Sun family’s approach of taking turns actually makes it more relaxed: parents first demonstrate “we are all important,” and the child naturally learns “others are important too,” so no one steals the show, and no one is pushed into a corner.
Now that I am a mother, I often remind myself: don’t treat your child as the sun, and don’t treat yourself as the commander. A family is like a three-legged stool, each leg extending out, making the stool stable.
Next time we take a family photo, I will also try letting my husband stand in the middle, letting the child stand aside, and the next time letting the child take the spotlight while we provide the lighting.
It doesn’t matter how good the photo looks; what matters is letting the child know from a young age: no one in the family is inherently special, and the three of us supporting each other is what makes a harbor.