My mom was a very giving person, always making sure our family had
everything we needed. She kept the family together by communicating with all of us and trying to keep us all getting along. I remember a time when
I was about 12 years old, when I was very upset about not wanting to continue piano lessons and was told that I have to continue, my mom
listened to me and said it was alright that if I didn't want to continue that I didn't have to. I remember beinmg very upset and mom just easing
the stress out of my body. Another incident is when I was 15 years old, the move to Seattle was very hard for me to be put in a new High school, I was very depressed and crying for a few weeks. Mom just hugged me and said
everything will be ok, and before I knew it, everything was just fine, I had made new friends and had forgotten I was even upset. It was a bit
weird to hug my mom because my family doesn't show much physical affection, it's "the Chinese way" my father would say.
I've always been very impressed with my mom's ability to work hard, I'm
proud of her accomplishments. She grew up from a very poor family. she worked hard to come to America and was at the top of her class and also a
beauty queen (friends urged her to enter a pageant, she refused) back in Taiwan.
She came to the US limited in English and with no money and knowing noone.
She worked very hard at her career as a chemist and maybe lost her life to the harsh chemicals involved with her work. Mom also got her real estate
license. she also sold health products for awhile. Mom and dad opened their own gift shop for sometime. Also became part owners of a Chinese
restaurant.
I look at my own life, and think wow, I had a $300 purse when I was 17 years old, my mom's most expensive purse her entire life was $30. I grew up with a silver spoon in my mouth and think life is hard. How'd my mom do
it? I had piano lessons, skating lessons, went to summer camps, traveled to yearly trips to Disneyworld, had big birthday parties, belong to a
health club for 15 years, had my college paid for, have a brand new condo and had several cars from my parents. At the same time mom taught me to
work hard and save money. I've worked since I was 14 years old, all through high school and college and non stop as an adult. My mom's goal
was to make sure her kids had a better life. She sure did accomplish that goal.