Happy Mother's Day

Top Five Ridiculously Awesome Things About My Mom

1. When we were strapped for cash, she pruned the palm trees in our front yard herself. Picture a petite Vietnamese woman wearing goggles and workgloves, swinging a chainsaw atop a 20 foot ladder, with sawdust and dirt streaming down.

2. At a fancy restaurant, Mom tried foie gras for the first time. Despite how much it cost, she spat it out unceremoniously, proclaiming it too gamey and rich.

3. Mom sewed Halloween costumes for my sister and me all through grade school. The highlight? A complete Robin Hood & Maid Marian pair of costumes, along with handmade working bow and arrow (Dad had a hand in that one, too).

4. We were swimming inside a tourist attraction in Mexico, the Xcaret park in Xel-Há. My sister was hanging onto Mom, but Mom pushed her off and swam ahead. "Get off of me - you're slowing me down," Mom said.

5. One time, early on in third grade, I received a subpar mark on a midterm report card. Normally, this would have provoked a typical "Tiger Mom" reaction, and I dreaded the entire ride home from school. Instead of chewing me out, though, Mom just said that I should work harder, and we watched "The Parent Trap" (the original version) that same night, over a couple of Cokes.