The trials of her life not only didn’t crush her, it’d made her, even MORE motivated, and stronger, translated…
Feng came from the countryside of Vietnam, she’d stopped going to school because her family was in poverty, and, through the matchmaking services, she’d married to Taiwan. She originally thought, that she would be able to, build a better future for herself with her own abilities, but, all of the trials of her life began, the moment she set foot into her husband’s house. That was, an extremely, unfriendly family, very unkind to her, her mother-in-law and husband had ignored her, pretended that she didn’t exist at all, and, the domestic violence occurred, and, fear became the sum of her life, she’d started, walking on eggshells, worried endlessly that her husband who’d had too much to drink would start to go crazy. Her husband would often call out to his drinking buddies, and, passed out, by the side of the roads, and lifted to the hospitals by the ambulances, then, Feng would take her kids, to get him home again. Her husband who’s a cab driver didn’t have a stable source of income, and refused to allow Feng to work, she felt trying, wondered, when, her marriage will end?
Three years ago, before the New Year’s, her husband once again, got violent with her, hurt their son too, she could no longer live with it anymore, so, she’d called the cops on him, asked the courts for a restraining order against her husband. Before she had the chance, to get her bags packed up, she’d rushed to the police station with her three children, and that very evening, the Social Services Department had, placed them; later on, her husband still harassed her and the children multiple times, in order to fight the divorce battles, she’d had troubles, getting a temp job. But gladly, the social services organizations provided her and her children with the necessities of life, and helped her find a job, and Feng and her kids became settled down as they felt safer. In the pro bono attorney’s help, she’d won the court battles against her husband, and gotten herself, a longer-lasting restraining order too.
Although Feng was still uncertain, if her ex was just going to, allow her to be free, but she’d carried on with her optimistic outlook on life, started working as a part-time instructor at an elementary school, made the measly pays that were enough, to keep her and her kids full. In order to allow herself to become hired as a proper school teacher, Feng who’d come to Taiwan since fifteen years ago, decided, to take the cram school sessions, she’d planned, to spend nine years, to get her high-school equivalency degree, so she could fight for the position as a formal employee of a special eds class.
Feng told me why she was longing for this job as a special eds instructor, turns out, that her eldest son, when he was younger, was diagnosed as developmentally delayed, with A.D.H.D., all the way, she’d accompanied her son on her own, to get treated, all the way, the arduous process, and the attitude adjustments she’d had to make, tried her patience, seeing how her son was slowly making the progresses, Feng was glad, that her son was diagnosed early. And because she’d understood the differences of the needs of children with special needs than ordinary children, she’d swore, that she would, do all she could, for kids with special needs just like her own son too, and so, she’d started, from her son’s elementary school, and asked to work in a class of special needs children, and that she didn’t mind, doing the work for free either. And, that, was how Feng got interested in special ed, and her manner to taking care of the class, impressed the parents, as well as the school too. I’d heard her describe how she’d interacted with the children with the special needs, with so much zest and energy, I was, totally in awe, at how she was able to, bring that care and concern way that she used to treat everybody she met into the schools.
And, even though, Feng had her share of the hardships in life, she’d still cared a lot, about helping others in need, this special education instructor teaching post had become the goal she wanted to achieve, I believe, that her kindness will one day, be rewarded, and she will, get the returns for the hard work she’d put in.
And so, you can see, how much trial this woman has so far in her life, and yet, what was amazing was how she’d not allowed her life’s circumstances beaten her, instead, she was able to, turn those trying events that life handed her, into forces that drives her, to work toward her goal. The amazing strength of a woman is shown here…
Life, the Obstacle Course 