One More Day

I just breathlessly finished reading Mitch Albom's "One More Day", suggested by dear Nadia. Wow, what a spine-tingling tearjerker.

Recently I just realized that, there is neither perfect marriage nor perfect family, which I used to regard mine as. Mom shared some negative feelings and disappointments about Dad once in a while this year when I came back home and got alone with her. These years have been tough for her due to unpredictably and uncontrollably paining backache. What's even worse, Dad showed little compassion for his pillow partner. Maybe his compassion runs away little by little day by day. Mom said, Dad scolded her for shaming him by telling neighbors and friends that she suffered from pain. He said she ought to "keep silent undergoing treatment at home" without making everybody known.

Mom also said, she had a Vietnam friend in neighborhood who married a Taiwanese old widower. After the husband passed away, the Vietnam wife was dumped out of the house by the her stepsons. She was homeless and lonely without money. Mom tried to help her, but Dad callously warned her "not to get herself into trouble". Mom felt dejected, and a little bit, despaired. And there were something else.

Well, I appreciate Mom's sharing with me; at least it proves that I'm someone she can rely on when Dad hurts her heart. While simultaneously, I felt a little stunned. I heard some wrangles among them about, "loyalty", years ago. Then it came down to be nothing. But now, disputes reemerged.

Dad is traditional and incredibly conservative. But undeniably, it's his conservatism without haphazard investments that raises a family. By the same token as you might imagine, he is very, man. And he doesn't know women. I figured that through these decades they had both made their own way together. But probably it was just endurance, not comprehension. It is not alright. I'm glad I am Mom's boy and I can be her comfort. Not many boys are willing to be Mom's. Yet me and Mom are meant to belong together.

Maybe every family has a unspoken freak story. Too shamed to speak of. So it's kinda relief and ransom to read a truthful family account having similar memories with yours.

There are something else that needs my attention, or I would like to spend some time sharing that sad Vietnam wife's story. Discrimination flows. It's everywhere. We try so hard to please people with ivory complexion and decent English accent, while spit people having similar skin color in need of more help. Disgusting.