Toxic parents
My relationship with my parents was toxic. My father only spoke to me when he was drunk. He would enjoy provoking me with hurtful words, and when he was doing […]
Mother – “far ahead”
When I lived in London and was having another bout of depression, I asked my mother if she ever cared about my health or my work. Neither of my parents […]
Mother – in Hawaii
For my 37th birthday, I had my parents fly to Honolulu for a vacation. The trip had been in our mind ever since I moved from Europe to the U.S. […]
Mother – reading time
The memories with my mother I cherish is when she read for me in bed. She was generous about purchasing the quality collection of picture books. She was great at […]
Mother – grief
My mother’s father passed away when I was 15 years old. Two years before his death, he was hit by a truck when he cycled home from the rice shop. […]
Mother – anger
My mother rarely raised her voice at us or physically punished us. But on those rare occasions that she became angry, her anger was often abrupt, explosive, and unpredictable. She […]
Mother – illness
My mother rarely went to see the doctor. Every year, she received an electronic appliance or audio device as the reward for never using the insurance. The only ailment that […]
Mother – indifference
Recently I asked my mother if she had known I had an eating disorder as a child. I told her that she might have thought I was faking, but I […]
Mother – parenting method
My mother was not overly strict with us, but she rarely praised us or encouraged us, either. She never prodded us to do homework, to achieve higher academically, or to […]
Mother – in the mirror
Often I saw her sitting in front of the dresser, smoking a cigarette. She’d be facing the mirror without looking into her reflection. She’d inhale with a small pop of […]
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