Honor Thy Parents

Being the child of immigrants who came to the US when I was only 2 years old, I've always had strong ties to the country I was born in, Taiwan. When we had our daughter, I always knew I wanted her to have the same strong ties, even if only half her heritage comes from Taiwan. Ever since Lauren was born, my mother and I talked about taking a trip to Taiwan together, partly to show Lauren her roots, and partly to to show off my new progeny to my extended family. We even planned an entire trip, but my mom's cancer took a turn for the worse just before we had to leave. As it turned out the trip never happened, and my mom passed away when Lauren was only 3 and half. When I lost my mom, I told myself, I was going to make the trip to Taiwan with Lauren for my mom, for Lauren and for myself.

The opportunity finally presented itself over this past Thanksgiving break. I was able to find discount airfare, a decent hotel, and able to take the time off from work. I planned a short trip, only a week, to keep costs down, and to not be a burden on too many relatives for too long when we were in Taiwan. The last time I had been to Taiwan was before Lauren was born, so it's been a little while since I had seen many of my relatives. I knew many of them were getting on in age, and that was another reason to go. But to my surprise, everyone looked good, their health seemed to be pretty good, and I was able to catch up with and see everyone that I wanted to.

Lauren had a good time, as one of my aunts made sure that our days were filled with activities that would keep her occupied and interested. I think I met my goal of making her interested in her heritage and country of ancestry. The trip was a wonderful experience full of love, warmth and family. I'm sorry my mom missed it, but I know she'd be happy we went.