Sean Wang Week 12 - ur mom is pretty cool
ur mom is pretty cool
Some said it couldn't be done. The non believers called me a madman, a lunatic, and an absolute poseur of an APENG student. Well, look at me now. Without further ado, I present to you all a blog post on the hottest topic of the 21st century: your mom.
And your dad too, I guess. This week, I want to talk about the power of our parents, and the things they do to make us who we are.
Since the moment I entered this world, my parents have either been my most loved or most hated people. As paradoxical as it may seem, I found that to be true for a lot of people. I’m glad that they’re there when I need them the most, but gosh — can’t they understand that I can’t pause an online video game?
Apparently, it takes on average around 200 to 300 thousand dollars to raise a single child. That’s a lot. You may have complained about your POAS taking the majority of your time; I’d wager that your parents feel the same after spending a quarter of their lives raising a rebellious, ungrateful, and crude version of themselves. When you put it like that, I find it hard that anyone would agree to signing a significant chunk of their life away. It’s simply the sub-optimal decision to make.
But then again, there’s the feeling of accomplishment. I think children are, for lack of an appropriate term, annoying as hell. My parents, however, take more pride in myself than I do. This year has probably been the most challenging year of my life, both academically and outside of school. Truth is, I’ve lost motivation to do a lot of things. Things are changing faster than I can process, and being a person who favours continuity, it's hard to comprehend such dynamic shifts in life. That being said, no matter how good or bad my day goes, I know that I can come home knowing that my parents are there to support me with a warm, tasty bowl of home-cooked food. Oh yeah, and don’t forget the free housing; you’ll never miss it till it’s gone next year.
I guess what I really want to say is… thank you. Even though I may long to leave the nest and embrace the temptations of independence, I will always remember to be grateful for the upbringing that I had. My mom keeps telling me stories of a family friend whose son keeps coming back because he misses the comforts of home; as much as I hate to admit it, I know that one day, I will inevitably take on his shoes.
And with that, I conclude my fourth installment of this quarter’s topic. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m glad that so many people found my first blog post memorable…
(Shoutout to Leslie. You’re going places, buddy.)
(Credit for the blog topic goes to Grace. And her mom.)
Photo Credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/521573200579494333/
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI believe I would also continuously visit home and my family because I'll miss them when I'm gone. I always complain about chores yet its much better than paying for my own rent. I'm currently looking for a job even though I've been told many times by my mom that I should be taking this time to play and have fun. All of these things I don't have to do because of my parents reminds me how much I should be appreciating them. These things that may be gone in just a year.
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to read about the influential impact your parents have on you! Something that struck me in your post was the fact that children are annoying. I'm not sure how my life will be someday when I decide to start raising a family of my own, but I predict that I will find my kids stubborn, clingy, gross at times, and frustrating. Last summer I started my first job working as a soccer coach. Not just any coach, but a coach for kids. These kids, believe it or not, were between three and nine years old, so I gained a wide range of experience with them. How fun! Well, at first, and at the end too I guess, the kids were cute, little, and lively. After just a few weeks with them, many of the children made me want to pull my hair out. Of course, remaining professional and dignified, all the hairs on my head stayed put, but it gave me a glimpse into what my parents must have felt when my brother and I were little (or not so little).
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI deeply agree with your blog post. Parents are some of the most powerful people on this planet, and I aspire to become one when I reach the age. It really breaks my heart to see some of my friends complain about their parents over petty disputes. I am so grateful for all the lessons, resources, and opportunities they have provided me over the years, and I know that I will never be able to repay the debt that I'm in to them.
Sincerely,
Krish
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteMY MOM DOES THE EXACT SAME THING. YOU LITERALLY ARE UNABLE TO PAUSE AN ONLINE GAME. IS THAT SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND? Anyways, this blog post was super touching. while I cannot faithfully say I spent all too much time on my POAS at all, I do agree that raising a child must be the most annoying thing in the world. It honestly seems just entirely irrational. Yet it seems like basic human nature for most to want to have children. I remember as a child, I also felt like "man I'll never waste money raising a kid." But now, I feel like by the time I'm in my 40's, I would love to have a child to bother whenever I want. God forbid, I might even ask them to pause in the middle of an online game as well.
"God forbid, I might even ask them to pause in the middle of an online game as well."
DeleteYou, sir, are an absolute menace.
I actually spent a good two out of three hours of my crying session yesterday whining about the fact that next year there won’t be a home to come home to. But that wasn’t the thing I was saddest about—it is my younger brother. My family is quite fractured, but usually that fact doesn’t make itself too apparent. A few days ago my brother and I were sitting in a car heading towards our tutoring center and the topic of college found its way to the forefront. “So I guess from next year on, I will go home, go to the back yard, get called for dinner, go to bed, and repeat,” he said. I can’t comprehend the loneliness he’ll feel when dad inevitably leaves for China—to be left alone with mom for two years before setting off for college too. It's the people in your life that make it worth living, but sometimes I feel that those people are slipping away.
ReplyDeleteHey Sean, I also have a love/hate relationship with my parents. I am very grateful for their generosity and their support (when they decide to be supportive, that is), but they are very invested in training their children to carry out the Gen X mindset that they were raised on. "Your generation can't do anything for themselves," "You have it so much better than we did," and the famous "Your face is always in that phone. When I was your age, we went outside" (they say that fully knowing that we aren't allowed to walk past the house). It's annoying, but the good times outweigh the bad. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI would really like to know who the non-believers that you mentioned are, it would be really funny to find out. Parents put a lot of work into investing in our futures, both monetarily and just sheer time and effort. Have you spent some time working with other younger children as part of service-learning or another opportunity? The frustration that you will inevitably experience is crazy and probably just a taste of parenthood. It certainly will be a nightmare and a dream at the same time.
Sincerely,
Raymond Yu
Hi Sean,
ReplyDeleteI love how you referenced all of our pain and time consumption on POAS. But 300 thousand per child?! I can't really believe that. That is a lot, and I would also say thanks to them for providing all of the care and shelter for us. Also, about your reference to coming home every now and then from college, I will do the same, I know it. After being at home for 17-18 years and then leaving it is very hard to do, and I know for a fact that I will miss home sweet home.
Sincerely,
Vivan Waghela
Hey Sean,
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cute blog post, this was a really sweet topic you talked about. I have to admit I was a bit thrown off when I read your title to begin with (your mom joke???) but I was pleasantly surprised by how touching your post was. I feel like I get frustrated with my parents a lot for not understanding where I am coming from, but when we reflect on it, it is not easy for them to completely change the values they grew up with. But the effort they put into trying is really commendable and I really appreciate my parents for how much they have gone out of their ways to adapt to me (I can be a bit much). But thank you for a really cool blog quarter, I always love reading your writing Sean:)