Mama Was In Danger!
I remember reading an interview of Chow Yun Fat, a Hong Kong Chinese actor, in which he was quoted, "In the old days, many women lost their lives during child birth. So, instead of celebrating the day as the kids' birthdays, it used to be called 母危日 -- the day mother was in danger. People prayed and ate vegetarian meals to remember the sacrifice our mothers made in order to bring us to this world. But the world has changed. Young kids who have done nothing become the center of the attention. They expect presents and elaborate celebrations . . ."
I do not have a habit of celebrating my birthday. It was not a tradition in my family, partly because we did not have money to celebrate much of anything. I tend to agree with Chow Fun Fat that I probably did not do much on that day. I guess I must have cried a little, drank some milk and slept through most of it. I cannot remember. It was my mom who worked hard.
Mom always says it is easy to have a baby. "It's like taking a poo, just maybe slightly more uncomfortable. It is quick." She likes to tell funny stories of how each of us was delivered. My father never confirmed or refuted my mom's stories. He always just smiled without saying a word.
When I lived in Hong Kong, I always tried to take my birthday off from work to take my mom out for lunch and then shopping. She enjoys it a lot. "How come it is your birthday, but I am getting presents?" she likes to ask. I enjoy looking at her innocent, happy smile. Taking her on such outings beats receiving gifts myself.
This year marks the diamond jubilee of my mom's becoming a mother as well as the golden jubilee of her retirement from having babies. I and my siblings are all coming together to take our mother on our first ever family trip to Shanghai. We all are very excited about it. Needless to say, my mom cannot wait for it to happen.
Do you still have your Mama with you? When was the last time you saw her? Do you celebrate her birthday with her? Have you tried celebrating your birthday with her? If not, I highly recommend it. It is way more rewarding than your usual birthday party. I guarantee it.
I do not have a habit of celebrating my birthday. It was not a tradition in my family, partly because we did not have money to celebrate much of anything. I tend to agree with Chow Fun Fat that I probably did not do much on that day. I guess I must have cried a little, drank some milk and slept through most of it. I cannot remember. It was my mom who worked hard.
Mom always says it is easy to have a baby. "It's like taking a poo, just maybe slightly more uncomfortable. It is quick." She likes to tell funny stories of how each of us was delivered. My father never confirmed or refuted my mom's stories. He always just smiled without saying a word.
When I lived in Hong Kong, I always tried to take my birthday off from work to take my mom out for lunch and then shopping. She enjoys it a lot. "How come it is your birthday, but I am getting presents?" she likes to ask. I enjoy looking at her innocent, happy smile. Taking her on such outings beats receiving gifts myself.
This year marks the diamond jubilee of my mom's becoming a mother as well as the golden jubilee of her retirement from having babies. I and my siblings are all coming together to take our mother on our first ever family trip to Shanghai. We all are very excited about it. Needless to say, my mom cannot wait for it to happen.
Do you still have your Mama with you? When was the last time you saw her? Do you celebrate her birthday with her? Have you tried celebrating your birthday with her? If not, I highly recommend it. It is way more rewarding than your usual birthday party. I guarantee it.
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