Life. Fate. Destiny.
A year ago, I had the pleasure to meet Mrs Anson Chan -- the former Chief Secretary (the most senior civil servant in Hong Kong, just under the British-appointed Governor) and former Legislative Council member of Hong Kong. She came from a good family of numerous outstanding people. In her youth, she encounter difficulties due to family circumstances. Yet, through determination and hard work, she attained very good education and has a remarkable career.
Mrs Chan is in her late 70s. One may think, at her age, it is time to sit back and enjoy a comfortable, quiet retired life of a grandmother. Out of her concern for the future generations of Hong Kong, however, Mrs Chan chooses to continue to work tirelessly for democracy and equality in Hong Kong. Mrs Chan does not need more money, power or fame. Yet, she busily goes from meeting to meeting, and often travels across the world on her own to be the advocate for Hong Kong people. Because she was once an insider of the government and politics, I guess she can never sit back and relax like an ordinary citizen of Hong Kong.
My mother is a year older than Mrs Chan. Contrary to Mrs Anson Chan, my mom never received formal education. She has been illiterate for most of her life. She only started learning to read and write in her mid 60s. My mom left her mother at the age of seven and drifted from household to household doing low paying jobs. Even after she married my father, the two of them often struggled to make ends meet. Due to stress and poor nutrition, my mom was plagued by ill health in her younger years.
Despite her background, my mother had the insight that the key to getting us out of poverty is education. Thanks to the good public education in Hong Kong, I and my siblings are all doing quite well. We can afford a very comfortable lifestyle for our mother collectively. Mom has the old family apartment all to herself. Since our father's passing, the sole responsibility she has is to take care of herself. She does not have to worry about her children or her grandchildren. She has a good network of friends through Buddhist church with whom she does religious studies and volunteer work. Her days are all about doing things she like and be happy.
Even though my mom had a tough start, she persevered and raised her family. In every single aspect, her life is looking up. With absolutely nothing to stress about, her health is better than ever. She does not know enough words to read the newspaper. She does not understand politics. She cannot carry on a "sophisticated conversation", but she is one of the happiest persons I know.
My mom is a stark contrast to a family friend who came from a middle class family. As the youngest child of her family, this lady was well loved and cherished. She is well educated and had a great career that makes her proud. When she was young, she traveled to many places around the world. She considers herself a worldly person. She and her husband are financially very comfortable. By many standards, she is a big winner in life. Now that she is in her 80s, her health is not as good as it used to be. Mobility is an issue. Her older siblings are all gone. So are many of her good friends. Her children are grown, but they do not have stable work and they have a lot of health issues. At her mature age, this lady is constantly worried about her children and grandchildren. Even though she enjoys a decent standard of living, to her eyes, everything is going downhill. Her heart is full of sour and bitterness.
Mrs Chan is in her late 70s. One may think, at her age, it is time to sit back and enjoy a comfortable, quiet retired life of a grandmother. Out of her concern for the future generations of Hong Kong, however, Mrs Chan chooses to continue to work tirelessly for democracy and equality in Hong Kong. Mrs Chan does not need more money, power or fame. Yet, she busily goes from meeting to meeting, and often travels across the world on her own to be the advocate for Hong Kong people. Because she was once an insider of the government and politics, I guess she can never sit back and relax like an ordinary citizen of Hong Kong.
My mother is a year older than Mrs Chan. Contrary to Mrs Anson Chan, my mom never received formal education. She has been illiterate for most of her life. She only started learning to read and write in her mid 60s. My mom left her mother at the age of seven and drifted from household to household doing low paying jobs. Even after she married my father, the two of them often struggled to make ends meet. Due to stress and poor nutrition, my mom was plagued by ill health in her younger years.
Despite her background, my mother had the insight that the key to getting us out of poverty is education. Thanks to the good public education in Hong Kong, I and my siblings are all doing quite well. We can afford a very comfortable lifestyle for our mother collectively. Mom has the old family apartment all to herself. Since our father's passing, the sole responsibility she has is to take care of herself. She does not have to worry about her children or her grandchildren. She has a good network of friends through Buddhist church with whom she does religious studies and volunteer work. Her days are all about doing things she like and be happy.
Even though my mom had a tough start, she persevered and raised her family. In every single aspect, her life is looking up. With absolutely nothing to stress about, her health is better than ever. She does not know enough words to read the newspaper. She does not understand politics. She cannot carry on a "sophisticated conversation", but she is one of the happiest persons I know.
My mom is a stark contrast to a family friend who came from a middle class family. As the youngest child of her family, this lady was well loved and cherished. She is well educated and had a great career that makes her proud. When she was young, she traveled to many places around the world. She considers herself a worldly person. She and her husband are financially very comfortable. By many standards, she is a big winner in life. Now that she is in her 80s, her health is not as good as it used to be. Mobility is an issue. Her older siblings are all gone. So are many of her good friends. Her children are grown, but they do not have stable work and they have a lot of health issues. At her mature age, this lady is constantly worried about her children and grandchildren. Even though she enjoys a decent standard of living, to her eyes, everything is going downhill. Her heart is full of sour and bitterness.
Recent years, many people like to talk about giving children a head start by helping them "win right at the starting line" (贏在起跑線). While I understand the intentions of parents, I do not necessarily agree with the mentality and their methods. Just look at the stories of these three older ladies. Who wins and who loses in life, sometimes, is really hard to define.
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