AN ADVICE FROM DAD: OPPOSING YOUR MOM COMES WITH CONDITIONS

Unlike in the USA, we don't have a special day known as Parents' Day in Malaysia. So the month of May and June are considered the "Parents' Day" celebrations period since Mother's Day falls on the 2nd Sunday of May and Father's Day on the 3rd Sunday of June. During this period, we'll see plenty of posts/articles/videos on showing thanks or love for parents. This is something that I read lately which I think is worth sharing. The original thing was in Chinese and I've tried my best to translate it without losing any of its meaning. Though some of the things may sound a little 'strict' or ridiculous to certain people, this actually happens in very traditional Chinese families where there are 101 rules to follow when you are pregnant and the gender of the baby or the baby itself is more important than the mom who gave birth to him/her. This has definitely changed over the years but it still applies to some people in rural areas or smaller places/towns.

The story goes like this:

One day, a teenage boy was fed up and screamed back at his mom after she nagged at him. She was angry and heartbroken. That very night, his dad asked him out for a stroll. After walking for some time, his dad said, "If you can fulfill any one of the following conditions, then you have earned yourself the right to scream at your mom:

1. Vomit after each meal for 3 months continuously. (Morning sickness)
2. Having sore or cracked nipples for up to a month from baby sucking. (Breastfeeding)
3. Secure the basketball to your torso at all times for up to 10 months. (Pregnancy)
4. Bear the pain from whipping for up to 48 hours. (Contraction pain from child birth)
5. No cold drinks, coffee or tea for 10 months.
6. No tossing and turning during sleep for 5 months.
7. No traveling, running or jumping for 10 months.
8. No falling sick for 10 months. Even if you do fall sick, you are prohibited from taking medications.
9. Endure all sorts of hardships in taking care of a baby (feedings, bathing, put to sleep, cleaning poo and pee etc) for at least a month.
10. Wake up every 2 hours throughout the night and stay awake for up to 30 mins, for at least a month.

When they reached the main door of the house, the dad tapped on his son's shoulder and said, as man to man, "Give my woman some face when you enter later! She is my precious treasure! I protect her, take care of her and even speak to her softly. So what right have you got to be rude or scream at her?" His son was shocked but because his dad talked seriously and honestly on an equal level, from then onwards, he respected his mom.

Parents are the reason Who we are and Why we are. 

Here's another short story: 

A man's wife recently gave birth. His whole family was very excited and when the baby finally came out, everyone rushed towards the baby and were concerned to know if it was a boy or girl. Only the man walked up to his wife and said, "Thanks for going through the exhilaration and terror of labor, to bring our baby into the world, my dear." Upon hearing, his wife's tears flowed non stop. This is love. There's no way he wouldn't feel anything/be worried/hurt for all the pain she had gone through. 

Do you know how many layers of cuts/incisions are needed in a C-sec? 

The answer is 7 (not to mention the long epidural needle).

Do you know where breast milk comes from?

The answer is a mom's blood.

Do you know how pain it is during natural childbirth?

Some say it's the most painful thing and it's true. Imagine having 20 bones fractured at the same time!

That's why, men, please treasure your wives, and kids, please be filial to your moms who sacrificed so much for you. For a kid, a dad who loves your mom is a dad worth respecting. Only a dad like this can create a harmonious and secured home for his children. 

Picture taken from www.pinterest.com.

Who would spend their whole life giving you the best without asking for anything in return? Besides your parents, who else would do that? Most of the time people just complain or blame that they don't have a good family background or good parents, but aren't the things we have today so much better than what our parents had? Why not work harder and fight to become our parents' pride instead? Perhaps sometimes we might think that our parents haven't given us enough, but do remember, those are probably the best they could give already.

Picture taken from www.pinterest.com.

While people always celebrate Mother's Day, I realized most people around me tend to forget about Father's Day or just simply don't celebrate it (You can also see the big difference in promotions/gimmicks when you go to the shopping malls here). Both parents are equally important. Without them, there'll be no us. Father's Day is about a week plus away, so remember to take the opportunity to show some love to the first man of our lives :)