About C + mom

 "Annitato" is an imaginary character my youngest daughter created when she was in elementary school. Hoping to plant an entrepreneurial spirit in her, I helped her trademark and build an online business centered around the character to share her artwork and ideas. But time flies, and her focus has drifted to pursue other aspirations, and the "Annitato" business was left as just a website. Watching my kids grow up and their ambitions shift, I realize that not every mom, myself included, needs to uphold the "A-plus tiger mom" standard. Had I donned that role and took some control of the business, maybe today, "Annitato" would be more than just a childhood abstraction. But I was not that "A+" mom. Instead, if my parenting were to be graded, I would readily accept a C+. At least C+ is a passing grade. 

Twenty three years ago I traveled from the East to the West and although physically I have settled down, I feel that I am continuing that journey mentally. I am trying hard to reach the destination of my journey, while also struggling to understand what that final destination is. In always an unfamiliar surrounding, regardless of whether I am alone or in a crowd, I feel a subtle sense of loneliness. Despite my faint sense of alienation, I am quite extroverted: good at making a scene more lively with my chatter or inspiring others with compelling speeches in my native language. But when it comes to using English, embarrassingly, I struggle to even make a friend due to the language barrier, which usually takes a serious toll on people's understanding of me. To my frustration, I often can't express what I really want to say; as a result my words are either misinterpreted or completely unintelligible. 

Meanwhile, my kids are going to move away, happy that they no longer have to listen to my motherly nagging anymore. Finally I will have time and use their abandoned space  to record a specific journey in my life. My hope is that, whether in the sunshine or rain, in summer or winter, in East or West, someone will smile and feel inspired by  C + Mom Blogs. Even if that someone is just myself in the future, I don't think I will be disappointed.