It's not only the month of America's birthday, but also that of my mom's.
This year, on July 1st, my mom turned 55.
I've never blogged about my family on here, really, except for this one rousing edition of My Dad is Cooler Than Yours, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk about some of the more unconventional reasons why my mom is the best.
In no particular order:
- After finding out the results of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, she changed our flight back from Taipei to Los Angeles to one day earlier, so I could be back in time to watch (the Lakers beat the Celtics) in Game 7.
- I was listening to Five Ghosts the other day in the car, and she started air drumming and then turned to me and asked, "this band is from Canada, right?" Shocked, I responded, "Yes. How did you know that!?" She went on to answer how I listened to Stars a lot in high school, and that she remembered asking me about the band's origins because she dug their music, as well.
- She once came with me to see Ben Gibbard play at Town Hall in NYC, and loved it.
- After our three hour meal at Masa, she was the first one to speak up and say, "I'm still hungry. You want Cart?" (Chicken and rice on 53rd and 6th) (And yes, we went to go get some)
- Back in the day when organized snack time still existed in Chinese School, and when all the moms were bringing Costco variety packs of chips for snack time, my mom would bring boxes of fresh assorted donuts or individual-size bags of cheddar popcorn.
- When I was little, she used to wake me up, not by gently shaking me or banging pots and pans at my door, but by creeping into my room and making rooster noises; I can still hear them -- "Coo coo cooooo"
- She cannot, for the life of her, pronounce or make the distinction between Marc Jacobs and Jacob Maarse in conversation. e.g.: "These flowers are so beautiful. Did you get them at Marc Jacobs?" or "How come your sister likes purses from Jacob Marcs so much!?"
It is for these reasons and so many more than I love my mom to the moon and back.
With that said, happy birthday, Ma. <3
(Or, as she would say -- Heppy Birsday! <3)
