Having kept a gratitude journal for 10 years, I find myself reflecting on my family ties this summer more than ever before. I started listing many things that I am grateful for that I did not appreciate or appreciate enough in early years.
I grew up in China in a loving and traditional family of five. It was a household of engineers and engineers-to-be…that is, except me. Being the youngest child in China was not the same as it is in America. Although I was loved, I was also expected to consistently respect and listen to everyone, including my siblings. Our home life was good and peaceful despite the constant political turbulence outside.
Fast forward to today, only my brother and myself are the only two left from the family we grew up in. We are as different as two human beings can be, yet we are also as close as a brother and a sister could be. When I shared that I plan on starting a yoga service so that I could help people of all ages in different settings, He simply chuckled. He didn’t think operating any type of business was in our blood, especially in his younger sister who is used to listening and not making decisions.
Nevertheless, he knows that I have the same discipline and resilience our parents cultivated in us since childhood. We often reflect back on how they had high expectations for each one of us. Teaching that type of work ethic and grit to kids may be viewed under a different light nowadays. But both my brother and I are so thankful for that upbringing. It enabled us to take on roads much less traveled.
Some of you may wonder the relevance of this blog on a yoga service website. To me, everything is connected, be it vertical or horizortal; internal or external. Without the kind of parenting I received from my mom and dad, without their selfless support, I would not have made it to America. My highest praise, however, always goes to our heavenly Father!
You are probably ahead of me on managing life. I would just be thankful if this sharing could serve as a humble reminder:
1. Keep a gratitude journal. It is more rewarding than you think.
2. Tap into your potential all lifelong …physically, mentally and spiritually.
3. Back to Yoga. “Becoming comfortable in uncomfortable positions” goes beyond the yoga mat...
Written by Chen, in loving memory of mom, dad and sister
No parents are perfect. I am thankful that mine made us their priority and did the best parenting job they knew how. I still pray and trust that they are resting in peace and rejoicing in heaven under God’s loving care.
My sister was a beautiful person with the gentlest soul. Her compassion and generosity have touched many lives. She was, is, and always will be the best sister in the whole wide world. Her loving memory will live on in the hearts of all who have known her.
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