To the men & women

With every holiday, I can't help but reflect on what each celebration has meant to me.  The ultimate reason that brings me to this conclusion is that every holiday that we’ve celebrated, it's the "family" unity that I most valued.

This past weekend, especially, on Monday as the nation remember the ultimate sacrifices that our men & women have made in order for us to continue to enjoy the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  I am humbled and at a loss for words by just thinking of how profound these men & women have made such a huge impact in my life.  My life would not be without their dedication, integrity, selflessness, and honor.

Coming from a war torn country of Laos as a refugee, I was too young to understand how brave it was for strangers to dedicate their lives to ensure that life prevails.  Thank you!

I thank God for these men & women who not only are fighting for freedom & democracy (or have fought for) but for also giving us every possibility to live our lives with every opportunity to succeed without fear.  I’m forever grateful…

Mommy gotcha too!

 It seems pretty unfair for me to only write about my precious baby boy because for the truth to be known, I am also blessed with my precious baby girl.  I know that she would not like to be called a “baby” but to me & my husband, our precious girl will always be our baby!

Our Heavenly Father granted us a gift seventeen years ago with this perfect little angel.  It is true, my husband & I could not see any imperfection because I know that God made her just for us.  

 I watched in amazement at how truly a joy my daughter has brought into our lives.  Not only is she a compassionate person but she is also a beautiful young lady.  My little girl has made a profound difference is my life by being a wonderful sister to her brother & by being a great example for me to emulate (great confidence, doesn’t conform to others' influences & has a high self-esteem).

I love hearing Marisa say “Mom, how did you know that?” I also love seeing that she is very much like her father but also like me…I thank God always for showing me that I did do something good to be blessed with such a terrific baby girl!

Mommy Gotcha!

It doesn't get any easier!   From the moment of his birth ‘til last week at Children's Hospital, I still get this feeling of helplessness when my precious baby boy suffers from one thing after another.   For a child who’s gone through so much, he still wear a perfect little smile on his face.    

My heart does rejoice knowing that this little baby of mine is so loved.  Not just the love from us, his parents, or from his sister but also from our Heavenly Father.  Although Ethan has had many trials & challenges to overcome, we are so blessed with so much love & support from our family & friends.  

I watch in awe at how truly happy my little baby is.  Not only is he joyful to watch but he also would bring laughter to all those who watches him.  His face would just light up the room when he enters, what an amazing ability to have!  His heart is so pure & I am smitten by his compassion.  

My darling boy, mommy should be the person whose gotcha but I know that there were moments where YOU were the person who has gotten mommy!  I love hearing Ethan say “Mom, are you okay?” and then would give me kisses…I must have done something good to deserve such a terrific baby boy!

Extraordinary Gift of Motherhood

 

 Extraordinary Privilege posted on May 19, 2011.  Not only has it been an extraordinary privilege, but it's been an extraordinary blessing to be their mother.  It hasn’t been easy but nothing worth having ever come easy.  

My husband said that I am a great mother…if you know my husband, he’s not a man with many flowery words but coming from him, it’s definitely a huge compliment.  What he meant was that he knows how much I love our children & that I would do the very best for them.  I told him that he too was a wonderful father…yes, we were in one of those mood.  Every now and then, I just love to take a step back to just savor each precious moment & reflect on our accomplishments.  No, our accomplishments are our children.  They are our reflection of the love & dedication that both my husband and I have promised one another…seeing how much our children treasure one another only makes our hearts even more content (if one can be more than just content). 

Being a mother is a gift that most women take for granted.  I am so thankful that I was given this opportunity…to learn, to grow, to love, and to get as close to heaven as possible on earth.  I don’t want to sound like a broken record or that it’s a cliché; however, without some of the extraordinary women in my life, I would not have known what was best “to do or not to do” as a mother. 

Rain or Shine...can't stop us

My children love the beach but unfortunately, it was really cold this past weekend for us to spend a day running around.   Be it rain or shine, nothing could have put a damper on their spirits!  I loved sharing each precious moments with my family…can’t ask for anything more. 

Well, I do long for when my family and I are able to spend our days together.  I dream of walking along the gentle shoreline, picking up little pebbles & throwing them into the ocean, counting the waves as they hit the rocks, and watching an amazing sun set over the horizon.  And oh to be able to drink fresh young coconut juice, stop at every step to see what’s on the ground, chase after birds as if we too could fly, and to embrace the soft ocean breeze as I sit, listen and watch my children at play.   

 

The musical sound of their laughter would take my breath away and the smile on their faces would make me realized that all is well with the world, that all is well with my world.

Having a daughter

Oh how much I just LOVE having the opportunities to do mother-daughter stuff.  

I remember that in years passed, someone was so adamant about NOT wanting to have a daughter.   That person who insisted that hell would freeze over if she was to have a girl (she was quite blunt about her disgust of how I had spoiled MY daughter).  I don’t know if knowing that her own mother did not want to have another child (her) was the root of her fear (I’m not a psychologist).   Or that she was not ready to be a parent herself but the choices that she had made put her in that situation.  

All that I remember was that one of her reason of NOT wanting a daughter was because she felt that my husband and I spoiled our precious baby girl.  Imagine that?  Parents spoiling their child, be it a girl or a boy!  At that time, my daughter was about two but I paid her no mind to that negative vibe.  Maybe she did not feel that she was blessed enough to be given the privilege of being a mother to a daughter.  Unlike me, she may have never had that struggle of conceiving.  Unlike me, she was blatant of her hatred towards my relationship with my daughter.  Unlike me, I prayed for so many years for a child to love.  

My husband and I were over the moon when we found out that we were expecting.  Anyhow, I prayed for that person to be blessed with one of her own so that she may have a change of heart.  My husband had already warned me that others would never see the goodness in someone else IF they don’t have that goodness in them.  I guess I’m more hopeful that others would appreciate the gift of a daughter’s unconditional love once they’ve gotten the opportunity.

For me, growing up without having my mother’s involvement with trivial “teenager” stuff like my first crush, my first love, shopping for a homecoming dress, a prom dress, making decisions about what classes to take in high school, making decisions about religion, or choosing what college to attend…makes it even more important for me to do this with my daughter.  I’m not faulting my mother for not having the opportunity to share my life’s growing pains but I am thankful because through these experiences, it has made me who I am as a mother (or how I want to be as a mother).

Next blog…I will post my daughter’s prom dresses.  Yes, we went crazy shopping and I gave her three choices to choose from…all of the dresses were just perfect; however, I can’t wait until she finally decides on which one to wear!