Yesterday we celebrated Whitney's birthday. Sam and I made dinner. We had lazy dumplings and fried rice. Most delicious! Mom provided us with a YUMMY YUMMY Yum cake. Here are a few pictures from our fun night!
Yum Yum - So good. Too bad you all weren't there! Missed out.
I had a specific request to discuss my childhood with an American mother while growing up in Asia since Munkhtur discussed his upbringing.
I guess I would have to say that my mom is somewhere in the middle between the stereotyped "Chinese Mom" and the "Western Mom". I would say she enforced a Western perspective and principle with Chinese Mom enthusiasm minus the degrading commentary. I was held to high expectations and when I fell below I was not "patted on the back" for trying my best, but rather asked, "what happened and why I fell behind."
I have always been an "A" student due to the affective learning technique that my mother and father used. They tied emotion to my success in the sense that I sought out parental praise and feared to disappoint. Clever technique when you have children that care immensely about what their parents think of them and their performance. This took me to the next step necessary to develop an emotional response in myself. Getting a "B" was an event that would send me into tears by the time I was in high school and not because my mom would be disappointed, but mostly because I was disappointed in myself. I valued doing well because my parents had taught me to value success.
One specific instance I recall was in high school. I had always played sports and one season I was out because of a groin injury, but my mom knew that I was always more productive when I was busier so regardless of my injury she had me go out for Volleyball. No, I did not play if I was in pain, but she still wanted me to attend practice and watch. Of course I didn't want to got out for volleyball because I wanted some extra time to hang out with friends, but I did it because she made me. Throughout the season I really began to enjoy it as well as recover and it helped me prepare for basketball season, which I cared about more. She knew what was best for me and enforced it. It may not have been piano lessons, which Chinese moms prefer, but it was knowing what was best for me and enforcing it rather than letting me do what I thought would be best.
She allowed flexibility to trying new things - sports, music, and JROTC, but there was no way in heck she would watch idly by if her son or daughter didn't succeed in what they had chosen to do or give up. Many a time all of us kids wanted to give up on something, but learned to dedicate ourselves through her persistence.
No, my mom was not as "crazy" as my Korean friends' moms, but she definitely could get "crazy" if we failed to meet expectations. I am only who I am now because of my mother and father. My mom, through example, has taught me how to be a strong opinionated woman, which I am continuously striving for and my dad has taught me to work and find joy in it, although I am still looking for that joy when I do the dishes.
I am immensely blessed and grateful for them and all they have done for me. Now, here is a cat picture!!!!
So cute.
Wish I could have been there for the cake!
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