One day, when reading a magazine, I came across an illustration which provoked my thought.
This is a work of Stephan Schmitz, a celebrated Swiss illustrator. In this picture, there is an office lady who wears a yellow suit and black trousers, with a briefcase in her left hand and a cellphone in her right, and carries a thick binder under her arm. Seems that she is busy with work. Beside her is a stay-at-home mother in a red dress who pushes a pram with a doll in one hand and a napkin in the other. Passing the mother, the office lady looks over her shoulder at the mother with admiration. “I wish I could live an easy life as she,” she thought. “No suit, no business affairs, no boss’s nagging, no scheme against colleagues, but just me and my cute baby.” Meanwhile, the mother is also attracted by the temperament and confidence of the office lady. “How I wish I were her! In that case, I could have my own career, associate with successful businessmen, and enjoy others’ esteem. Look at me. My whole life is revolving around the baby, and I don’t even have my own space.” The moment their eyes meet, the office lady forgets that she has a client on the phone, and the mother is distracted from her baby. They, while envying each other, both forget the happiness they already have.