Photo: Screenshot from meida reports

"My uncle by marriage stepped into my father's shoes, continuing to love and protect me and becoming a rock-solid anchor in my life. In fact, he has long ceased to be merely my uncle by marriage—he is more like a second father to me," read a piece of writing by an 11-year-old girl who lost her father, moving both the uncle mentioned and countless netizens, People's Daily reported.

Jiajia (pseudonym) lost her father to illness in 2024, while her mother, who is disabled, struggles to care even for herself. Determined to give Jiajia a better life, Jiajia's aunt and uncle by marriage in Shenzhen decided to adopt her, bringing her from East China's Shandong Province to Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province to live and continue her studies.

Jiajia's uncle recently posted a video, in which he read aloud the writing. In the footage, he choked up repeatedly and shed tears of emotion.

Titled "My Second Father," the writing records Jiajia's emotional journey—from her initial feelings of loneliness and helplessness, along with the distance she felt toward her uncle, to how his patience and care gradually brought her a sense of emotional stability over time, the report said.

In the writing, Jiajia wrote after losing her father, "it felt as if a huge hole had been torn in my heart." She said she would cry under the covers almost every night, and her personality grew increasingly withdrawn. "Just when I felt the world had turned entirely gray, my aunt and uncle went out of their way, making countless efforts to become my legal guardians and bring me to Shenzhen," she recalled.

Jiajia said she was uneasy in the new environment and kept her distance from her uncle at first, but he told her, "From now on, with me here, you don't have to be afraid of anything." "At that moment, I felt hope again," she wrote.

She also described how her uncle would play basketball with her, go to her school to stand up for her, and prepare delicious meals for her.

Jiajia's uncle said, "I choked up the first time I read it, I never expected Jiajia to write something like this." He added that his wife has also contributed a lot to the family, and that spouses should always support each other, People's Daily reported.

As of noon on Thursday, the video posted by Jiajia's uncle had received nearly 2.8 million likes and more than 900,000 shares. He said that many people had sent messages expressing concern, and some even offered financial assistance, all of which he politely declined, the report said.

He said he hopes the experience will help Jiajia build greater self-confidence, knowing that "so many people care about you and are cheering you on."



Global Times