🌌 In a Three-Body World of Pressure, I Found My Reason to Protect | by Musicinc27 | Aug, 2025

🌌 In a Three-Body World of Pressure, I Found My Reason to Protect

When Stress Closes In from All Sides

Do you ever feel like life pulls at you from every direction—like you’re living in your own version of a Three-Body world, where nothing ever stays still?

I’m a creator from Taiwan. Maybe the stresses in your life don’t look the same as mine, but the feeling of carrying responsibility—I think that’s something we all share.

For me, the weight comes from three directions: family, work, and my own sense of self-worth. Lately, those three have been pressing down so hard that some days I can barely breathe. Writing here is my way of letting some of that stress out, and maybe finding a little space to keep going.

—

The Responsibilities That Family Brings

In my family, it’s just my mom, my sister, and me. My parents divorced when I was young, so I grew up without a father.

My mom is getting older now. She’s spent her whole life as a caregiver in long-term care—a job that demands both strength and patience. For years she worked endlessly, moving between job and home, just to raise us. Now, even at retirement age, she still leaves the house every day for a paycheck that barely covers the basics.

My sister does have a steady income, but it’s only slightly above minimum wage. And because of her independent nature, she doesn’t really step into the role of family support. Over time, our conversations have thinned out, often ending with nothing but misunderstanding and hurt.

—

Caught Between the Demands of Work

As for me, I work as a deputy manager on a construction site. My job means wearing many hats: supervisor, safety officer, engineer, and quality control. Most of the time I’m caught in the middle, pulled between the expectations of the client and the demands of my boss.

It’s a role full of responsibility, and the stress never really leaves. At times it feels like standing against an invisible wall, pushed closer and closer to the breaking point.

—

The Companion Who Has Walked Beside Me

But in the middle of this heavy life, there is someone who has always been by my side—Life.

His name comes from the Chinese word “Lái Fú” (來福), which sounds close to “Life” in English. To me, the meaning has always been clear: he represents life itself—the daily joy, the struggles, and the companionship that gives me strength.

I found him on the street when he was just a tiny pup, not even three months old. Now he’s 18. Over the years, he has carried more of the feelings I couldn’t share with anyone than anybody else.

When he was young, he was full of joy—always running, always jumping. After work, I’d take him to the park to play fetch, or we’d ride my scooter to the beach and feel the ocean. At home, he’d curl up on my bed, usually stealing half of it for himself. I didn’t mind. Those moments brought me so much joy, and they made me love him even more.

—

When Illness Turns Strength Into Helplessness

But time catches up with everyone. Life’s once-bright eyes are dimmer now, his appetite weaker.

One evening after work, I noticed something wasn’t right. Moments later, he collapsed into a seizure that wouldn’t stop. My heart dropped. I held him tight, whispering over and over that he wasn’t alone, that I was right there. Minutes felt like hours before he finally calmed. As soon as he did, I rushed him to the vet, desperate for help.

Since then, his strength has faded. His legs give out. Sometimes he falls and can’t get back up. He cries then—a sound so raw it feels like he’s asking, “Why me? I just want to walk.”

Eventually, the vet confirmed it was dementia. Painful as it was, at least we had a name for what was happening.

Now, he sometimes stands in a corner for what feels like forever, or walks in endless circles. At times, he gets stuck between pieces of furniture, and when we come home, we find him waiting, helpless, until we pull him free.

Feeding him has become our greatest struggle. At first, we could slip his medicine into food. But lately, he barely opens his mouth even when we try to hand-feed him. We’ve blended meals into puree and used a syringe, but sometimes he won’t swallow at all. These days, we just do what we can—small amounts of food, water, and however much medicine he’ll take.

Out of desperation, I even built him a support cart from PVC pipes. It’s still being adjusted, but I only hope it will help him walk a little steadier, fall a little less.

—

The Reason I Choose to Stay Strong

Life means more to me than I can put into words. Compared to the stress of work and family, his presence has been the light in my darkest corners. He can’t speak, but he has always understood me in ways no one else could.

After this year, he will be 19. Watching him grow weaker each day breaks me. Sometimes I cry quietly—at work, or alone at night when no one is watching. When I was younger, Life was the one who carried me through moments I thought I could never survive. Now it’s my turn to carry him.

This is the only way I know to repay him: in this Three-Body world of pressure, I choose to be the one who protects him. Without Life’s companionship all these years, I don’t think I would have made it this far.

The future will not get easier. But I still hope to take him out to see a little more of this world. Because love—simply love—is the reason I keep going. And when I look back now, all those stresses don’t feel quite as heavy anymore.