Music and My Mother

My boy's journal:

I do not understand why my mother always insists that I continue to learn piano during the few occasions where I lost interest. Today, I know why.

My mother always wants to learn music. However, she was not able to do so as her parents were poor. At that time, Ah Gong and Ah Ma told my mother to study hard and reach for the stars. Education was the way out of poverty.

Nevertheless, she remains passionate about music. Twenty years ago, she brought a guitar using the money she earnt from giving tuition. The guitar was a second-hand one and cost a paltry sum of twenty dollars which must be a princely amount for my mother then. Today, the guitar still sits in our storeroom. Maybe, someday she will be able to play.

Now I understand why my mother is so happy when I and now, my brother indicates that we will want to learn piano. I realise that I am so fortunate. I will practise hard to make my mother proud.