I want my mom to know that she is my hero and she has never, ever let me down.
I’ve learned so much about the value of family and loyalty towards my loved ones, the strength of culture as it impacts my daily life and how I view the world, and that Taiwanese people have the best food in the world!
Tell us about one of your earliest memories of your mother. (妳對母親最早的記憶是甚麼?)
When I was very young, my mom had to work overnight at her company to make ends meet. She would pick my brother and me up on Friday afternoon and spend a couple hours with us running errands. When it got close to the time she would have to leave to work, I’d get on the floor and pull her down by her legs to try to keep her at home. I never wanted her to leave and sometimes would resent her for leaving us on Friday nights. But looking back as an adult, she did everything she could to pay the bills and give my brother and me everything we needed and wanted.
What is the most important thing you have learned from your mother? (妳從母親／女兒學到的最重要的是甚麼?)
My mom has spent a huge chunk of her adult life taking care of her widowed mom (my grandma) and I see so much dedication, love, and generosity by my mom to my grandma. I see my mom as not only the best mom a girl could have, but the best daughter a mother could have. She exemplifies everything about family, hard work, and love that I want to exemplify.
Tell us about the ways that your mother makes you proud. (妳母親／女兒讓你感到驕傲的是甚麼?)
My mom is not only a Taiwanese immigrant to America, but she is also a deaf woman. She’s had to endure so many obstacles to get to where she is today. She has had to prove to people that she was smart, capable, and a great leader, despite being a woman, an immigrant, and English being her THIRD language! I admire how hard of a worker she is, how persevering she is, and her leadership qualities. I don’t know anybody who puts so much passion and hard work into their job and puts in the equal amount of time in taking care of their family. I am so proud to call her my mom and I am so proud of her for living the American dream and conquering all her hardships.
Tell us about how your mother inspires you. (妳的母親／女兒如何激勵妳?)
My mom inspires me to be a loyal, compassionate, hard working person. She has so much flair, and is so radiant, despite everything she has gone through in life. She has always told me to not let the little things get to me, and to keep my eyes on my dreams and do the best for myself. She inspires me to succeed in life and to always seek happiness. She has made it very clear that all she wants for my brother and me is to be happy in our lives. It means a lot to be supported by a woman who just wants what is best for us, despite the fact that we may not become rich lawyers or be able to buy her a mansion.
As time has gone on, how has your relationship with your mother changed? (隨著年歲的增長，妳們母女關係有怎麼樣的變化?)
My mom and I were really close when I was a kid, and we went through a tumultuous relationship when I was a teenager. When I moved to college, I realized she was my best friend. Since then, I haven’t been able to go a single day without talking to her, laughing with her, and thinking about her. I moved to NYC for one year after I got my B.A. and it was so hard to be away from her. I realized just how important she is to me and how I could never be too far from my mom!
What is one thing that you would like your mother to know? (有那件事是妳希望讓妳的母親／女兒知道的?)
I want my mom to know that she is my hero and she has never, ever let me down. She works so hard for my brother and me and she constantly doubts that she isn’t doing enough for us; she’s a perfectionist. But she needs to know that there has never been a day where I am not immensely proud of how much she’s achieved in life and so thankful for all that she has sacrificed to put my brother and me first in her life.
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