Translated…
Three years ago, because of a gall bladder stone, my mother-in-law went up north to have surgery, lived with us for a little over a year. As her daughter-in-law, before I headed off to work, I’d always tried to make sure the breakfasts, the lunches are prepared, and after work, I’d gone home, to prepare the suppers. On the weekends, I’d taken my mother-in-law to visit the friends and relatives, or to go outdoors, we’d gotten along very well as a family. I’m truly glad, that in the twenty years that we’d been married, I finally had the chance, to accompany my mother-in-law long-term, to fulfill the duties of a daughter-in-law.
And still, with the time she’d spent up north getting longer, although my mother-in-law’s health is improving, but, deep down inside, she’d felt, emptied, not only was she smiling less, she’d often complained to me, that it seemed, that she is serving time in prison. Because my mother-in-law kept a different schedule in the countryside, compared to her schedule in Taipei.
In the south, the ladies during the daytime, would gather in front of the temple, that, was the information center of the village, whether it be matters regarding the nation, or regarding the household, it’s all discussed there. And, there would be a lot of activities for the elderly population there too, singing lessons, arts and crafts, etc., etc., etc., simply stated, the time passed very quickly.
And still, in Taipei, she only has the opportunity to go out on weekends, we’d headed off to work, the kids, to school on the weekdays, other than the sound from the television, it’s just her, all alone, sitting there, this, was similar to serving in prison, for someone as active and outgoing as my mother-in-law.
Awhile ago we’d returned back home, my eighty-seven year-old mother-in-law insisted to my husband that she wanted to stay there, to live on her own. After I’d discussed with my husband, we’d decided to support her decision, but, we’d made a deal with her: she must have her three meals regularly, and that she must answer our calls at specific times. Later on, as we’d gone to visit her each and every month, my mother-in-law would always clean the veggies, make the meats, then, told me, that the soup’s made, that she’d only needed to cook one more plate of vegetables, and it’s time to eat.
Looking at my mother-in-law, busying herself about, inside her house, I’m truly moved. Thank the heavens for giving her a healthy body, and I’m truly glad, that we’d respected her decision, so she could live out the rest of her days, the way she wanted to.
And so, this son and daughter-in-law respected the elderly’s choice of staying back home, living alone, and, it’s truly hard, because as children, we worry about our elderly parents, and, most of the time, we would just, DRAG them to where we live, and FORCE them to settle in with us, without any of the parents’ consensus, but, this pair didn’t, they’d respected the elderly’s decision, and, the elderly woman was able to live out the rest of her life based off of her own choice.
Life, the Obstacle Course 