4 . How to love your parents

It is well said that family is the kingdom of father, the world of mother and the paradise (天堂) of children. However, do you really know what each letter of the word “family” stands for? Obviously, F stands for Father; A is and; M means mother; I, L and Y are short for “I Love You”! Now, it’s quite easy for you to be aware how to deal with the tensions between you and your parents.     1     However, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part, a source of who you are.

Here are some ways to love your parents.

    2     A gentle “good morning” and “I love you” will warm a coldest heart. Remember that they brought you into this world. Without your parents, you might still wander at an unknown corner in an unknown world.

Respect them more and cherish these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them, preparing yourself for when you’re off on your own. It’s OK to get angry but angry actions don’t help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, write down your feelings, or talk to a friend.     3    

Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through a hard time when you don’t get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it’s cold, raining, snowing or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings who will make mistakes as well.     4     Since you can forgive your friends, why not forgive your parents?

Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or going somewhere with them.     5     Listen to their old stories, which might help you find they are your tutors in this way or another.

“Can I see my baby?” the happy new mother asked. When the baby was lying in her arms, she moved the fold of cloth gently to look upon his tiny face. Dumbfounded (目瞪口呆的), she held her breath and tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. The doctor turned his head quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was a pity.

One day, when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly and told his mum in a choked voice, “A boy, a big boy… called me a freak (怪人).” The mother sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of endless unfortunate heartbreaks.

Though the misfortune happened to him, he grew up into a handsome boy. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for the ears. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. Yet he felt ashamed when he communicated with others. “But you might communicate with other young people,” his mother blamed him, with a kindness in her heart.

The boy’s father talked with the family doctor about his ears. “Could nothing be done?” the father asked. “I believe we could transplant on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated.” the doctor replied. From then on, the search for a person, who was willing to make such a sacrifice, began.

How time flew! Two years went by. One day, the father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have found someone who will donate the ears you need. But remember it’s a secret.”

Paragraph 1: The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.

Paragraph 2: He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (灵柩).

7 . There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.

Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friend: don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying.

While some adult relationships are still troubled, many find them to be extremely rewarding. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of the workforce and technology, which may bring them even closer together.

Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. The mother and child relationship is closer than any other. There is not an equal relationship. Daughters should not feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. It isn’t that they don’t care deeply about their mothers. It’s just that they shouldn’t be burdened with their mother’s well-being.

The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.

Kelsey was grateful for everything her mother had done for her. In spite of being raised by her mother alone, Kelsey received a good education, and now held a leading position in a large company.   

Recently the company was making corporate brochures in which achievers would share their success and thank their parents as well. For this, the achievers would have to take photos of themselves with their parents.

Kelsey didn’t really want that because her mother had put on a lot of weight due to a sedentary (久坐的) lifestyle. Kelsey managed to contact one of the best photographers and made a reservation in advance. When she and her mother came to the photographer’s studio, Kelsey took the man aside and said, “Please make sure my mom looks thinner in the photo.” But the photographer said what her mother really needed was a diet or exercise, not a photographer.

Kelsey insisted that he shouldn’t make her mother look like a slim dancer. She just expected him to do his best to make her mother look a bit thinner. The photographer finally agreed and took measures to hide some details, setting the right light and choosing better angles for shots. But it was not easy to fool the camera.

Kelsey’s mother noticed how the photographer was having a hard time and how her daughter was shaking her head. She smiled and said that she just wanted photos with Kelsey no matter whether she looked heavy or not.

The next day, Kelsey came to pick up the photos with her mother. The photographer printed out several photos, copied the rest on a flash drive (闪存盘) and handed them to Kelsey. Kelsey was disappointed and complained. How she wished her mother could look much thinner! The photographer shrugged (耸肩) helplessly and said nothing. Kelsey’s mother, however, said that the photographer did a good job and she was who she was. Then she told Kelsey to accept the fact that her mother was not “the tiny girl Thumbelina in the fairy tale.”

Finishing her words, Kelsey’s mother turned and went out of the studio.

Kelsey felt so ashamed that she came near to tears.

9 . The bond between mother and daughter is irreplaceable. One of the most famous women scientists of the 20th century, Marie Curie, worked _________ her daughter Irene in the _________ of radioactivity, each of them _________ earning their own Nobel Prize. Today, there are more _________ mother-and-daughter pairs showing what happens when _________ works together.

In April 2020, Dr. Cynthia Kudji and her daughter Dr. Jasmine Kudji have become the first mother and daughter to _________ from the medical school at the same time and be placed in the same hospital. Cynthia Kudji put her dream of becoming a _________ on hold when she became pregnant (怀孕的) at 23. She worked as a nurse for almost a decade _________ making the decision to _________ the medical school at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences. __________, her daughter Jasmine went to Louisiana State University School of medicine.

At first, it was __________ for them to live and study so far apart from one another. “I thought initially it was hard because my mom and I had always been really __________ so I had to get used to the __________,” Dr. Jasmine Kudji explains to Afro Tech. Although the __________ was difficult, it also had __________ results. “Sometimes people struggle to find someone who __________ their struggles, so for that person to be my mom was extremely helpful,” she adds.

After years __________, both Cynthia and her daughter earned their M. D. degree. Then on “Match Day” when recent med school graduates __________ the results of their residency (高级专科住院生实习期) applications, Cynthia and Jasmine learned that they were __________ in the same hospital.

This pair of mother and daughter __________ that family can do anything together.