My Dear Sunshine, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are gray." Do you remember this song? When you were a chubby little toddler, we used to sing "You Are My Sunshine" and "Jesus Loves Me" after your bath - intentionally way off key and at the top of our lungs (to cover up the drone of the hair dryer, of course!). Baba would cover his ears, but we would giggle with glee. Some things have changed, like how you are old enough now to dry your own hair, but other things have steadfastly remained the same: we still sing off key, but you are still my sunshine. Jesus loves you forever and always, no matter what. And so do I. Sunshine, not that long ago, you wrote Baba and I short but sophisticated letters asking for more basketball practice, maybe even joining a recreational team. I've got to hand it to you, Sunshine; You were smart to split up your persuasive arguments to suit each one of us. In your letter to me, you rationalized your desire to improve basketball skills. In your letter to Baba, you used an emotional appeal for basketball and against Chinese School. Baba and I considered your request in concert with all other factors impacting our family. We see the benefit of learning Chinese AND we see the value of playing basketball. We hope you do, too. I'm so glad we were able to find a schedule that allowed for you to pursue both Chinese School AND basketball. Look at this cool pic of you in action! I just love how intensely you pour out your heart into all that you do, whether it is basketball, school work, or even your Chinese lessons. You are a super talented and a wonderfully determined girl. As you continue to grow, I know you will follow dreams that will both challenge you to mature and give you satisfaction knowing that you have made the world a better place. Sunshine, you make me so very happy and anyone who knows you would also describe you as a joy. However, we have experienced many gray, cloudy days these past months, haven't we? I don't expect you to be perfect - You are still growing physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm not perfect either. The truth is that I'm still growing and maturing, too. Though this stage of life may be difficult at times, I want to assure you that I am always available to listen to you without judgement, to guide you through the process of sorting out your emotions for peace, and to give you advice on how to handle frustrating situations with love. My dear, dear Sunshine, you'll never know how much I love you. Though we will weather a few more storms in the years to come, please remember that flowers can only blossom when it is nourished by the rain. When the days are dark, remember this blessing - "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." May the Son shine in your life all the more abundantly so that you know you are deeply loved by the One above. With all my love, Mama
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My little helper woke up early this Saturday morning to come with me to the Scholastic Warehouse Sales Event. As we got into the car, she declared, "Mama, do you know what I'm going to say when I get to the warehouse? This is the life!"
Well, friends, it's hard to argue with that! I hope you are all enjoying your summer and reading lots of books. Jaime "Are you Chinese?" After presenting two sessions of a workshop at the Berryessa Unified School District's Parent University on Saturday, I set up a table to hand out flyers for this upcoming STEAM Event and this Summer Writing Camp. Rose asked me a seemingly simple question but this question always makes me pause. It's a loaded question. Yes, I'm ethnically Chinese and culturally American. But the real zinger was that Rose, who is Chinese, asked correctly if I am Chinese**, which meant she probably already sized me up. I braced myself for the next question. "Do you speak Chinese?" I knew that was coming! Again, another loaded question. If I said yes, then the unspoken expectation was that I should continue to converse with her in Chinese. If I said no, then how could I even claim to be Chinese? So, I gave Rose my honest answer and hoped that it would satisfy her curiosity. "Yes, but I only know enough Chinese to order food at a restaurant." We both laughed. My laughter was more like a nervous giggle, but Rose's wholehearted chuckle told me she thought it was funny. Whew! I averted a super uncomfortable situation! I was glad she did not ask the next question typical in this type of conversation, namely "Why did you study English in college?" Sensing that our small talk was over, she made a comment, which caught me by surprise. "So, you're one of the few." "I'm sorry, what do you mean?" “I mean you’re one of the few who grew up in this area, went to college locally, and stayed here to work and to raise a family. You could have moved away to follow your dreams!” I never saw it that way, but I guess you could say I am one of the few. Yes, I attended BUSD schools as a kid. Last year, I visited my 5th grade teacher, Mr. D, who still teaches at the same school. How amazing is that! (Full disclosure here - I was a lousy writer and failed my 5th grade writing sample. Despite that little hiccup, Mr. D still believed in my potential and recommended me for advanced classes in middle school.) A total late-bloomer, I somehow managed to do well in high school. I attended Santa Clara University through the Future Teachers Project and was one of the first seven FTP graduates. While I was a teacher at Rancho Middle School, the school received its first designation as a School to Watch. Currently, my own children attend a BUSD school where I am involved with their education. My family and I live in the lovely Bay Area where we contribute to the community and practice “loving our neighbors.” My parents and siblings live close by. My husband’s family also lives close by. As an Education Consultant, I have this awesome opportunity to connect with parents and share reading and writing strategies with them to encourage literacy at home. No, there is need to move away to follow my dreams as God has already given me a wonderful life here in the Bay Area. I may not have been articulate as a 5th grader, but some goals have remained the same. I'm trying to do what I can to help make the world a better place right here in the place I call home. "Yes, Rose. if you put it that way, I am one of the few. And I absolutely love it here." Jaime **Interestingly, people have also asked if I am Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean or Filipino. P.S. In case some of you missed the BUSD Parent University, here are a few pics from my workshop. I hope to see you at a future event! Parents wrote down their thoughts to an exercise about family values and standards. A parent volunteered to read a small part in a role-playing scenario. Parents shared their thoughts with a table partner. Parents from 10 different elementary schools attended the BUSD Parent University.
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