Translated…
From before, a woman, for the sake, of making her child an American citizen, she’d hidden the fact that she was pregnant for a few weeks, flew on the planes, and, gave birth to a daughter inflight, she’d not considered her own daughter’s safety, and had, sacrificed the other passengers’ rights, caused heated debate in the press. All parents are the same, but, I’d wanted to ask, is it, really happier, being an American citizen?
My friends who are married went abroad for studies, gave birth to their older child, after working in the U.S. for a couple of years, they’d decided to return to Taiwan, to contribute what they’d learned. Their son is an American citizen, after he’d graduated high school, he was, sent back to the States to college, but, he’d not done well academically in the States, is alone and depressed, gotten sucked in, to the gaming world, and, he’d not attended his courses and, disappeared off of his parents’ radars too; as my friend finally got back in touch with his own son, she’d flown to the States, to communicate with him, and the son gave up his studies abroad, and returned to Taiwan, to start over in college again. And, with the warmth from home and the connectedness of his classmates, he’d turned over a new leaf, and, became happier.
There was an older sister of a friend, she and her husband are both, busy at work, their daughter and son were, sent to the States to study when they were still in middle school, they’d stayed at separate homes; the daughter is outgoing, optimistic, had no troubles, adapting to the western ways of life, the son however, had adjustment difficulties, became depressed. My friend went on a business trip and went to visit with his nephew, the two of them ate at a fast food shop for lunch, he’d ordered Dr. Pepper for his nephew, the nephew told the uncle, that he’s not Taiwanese, nor is he American, that he’s only, an unaccepted outsider here.
He’d also said, “Uncle, you thought I loved Dr. Pepper, don’t you? I actually don’t, I just drank it, because the very first drink my father bought me, was Dr. Pepper, and the very next day, he left.”, the boy looked out the windows, and, started, fogging up in his eyes.
My four nephews lived in the States for decades, and, the number of times they’d come back to visit their parents are counted with the fingers on one hand. My eldest sister-in-law in her eighties bought a place for her own urn without anybody knowing, she’d told me, “We’re all aged, and our children aren’t acquainted with Taiwan, buying up the places in the towers, in case by the time we’re dead, the children will be in a panic when they rushed back to Taiwan.”
It’s hard, for us, to define what happiness is, everybody has different ways of defining it. Being ordinary as I, so long as I get to be with my family every single day, even if we get into disagreement every now and then, I’m still, more than blessed.
So, from this, you can see, how important it is, for parents to BE with their young when they are growing up, and because the parents FAILED to establish that needed, strong connection with their young, that, is why, as their next generations are growing older, they stopped giving a hoot about their own parents too. It’s still that double-edged sword: CUTS both W-A-Y-S???