59 • real mom/dog mom/soon to be grandma • always stylin'!
my mom is the best person i know, and since it was her birthday recently, i wanted to make a page here to celebrate her!
things we both like
- Coco Fresh Tea and Juice
- spreadsheets!
- taking exams
- reading
- introspection/reflecting
- Getting Things Done™
- puzzle phone games
- stories about cool, smart ladies
- flowers
- videos of babies, or actual babies
ways i am like my mom
- we overthink a little bit!
- this is why we can't watch horror movies...
- we like to have everything planned/prepared and feel secure
- we'll pay a little extra for more comfort/convenience <3
- we're introverts and like having "me" time!
- we do well in classroom settings
- we know what we like!
ways i am not like my mom, but wish i could be
- she is an excellent cook – sorry to you if you've never tasted my mom's pumpkin soup/penne al telefono/udon/chawan mushi 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
- she is a whiz with anything to do with numbers. meanwhile, i... sometimes struggle to tell the time LOL
- we are both getterdunners, but i take 40000 years to do the things i plan to do, while my mom gets them done right away!
- related: she keeps track of everything without getting frazzled. how!
- she has impeccable style/taste that she seems to... have been born with?! for as long as i remember, my mom has always been classy.
- she is not quick to be mean. my mom will try to see things from the point of view of the people i instinctively roll my eyes at.
- she is a great leader and made a place for herself in the boys' club that is corporate leadership. unironically a girlboss
- she is so, so generous, and always thinking of other people. anything from bringing home a snack for you to finding a job for a beloved nephew... my mom knows the meaning of community, and i want to practice more what i learn from her.
- although actually, i wish we could exchange these traits instead of me just inheriting this from her. i would like my mom to let others (including me) solve their own problems more, and let herself chill more <3
memories
- letting me lie in bed with her one early morning towards the end of the school year, when i was upset about a friend, and just talking it out together
- winning a school Family Day game for me because i said i really wanted to win
- my mom: "okay, let's win"
- practicing times tables after dinner and eating apple slices in my room
- going to get treats from the sunday church market (she let me stay in the car so i would be comfy)
- a trip to hong kong that was mostly a staycation – the kind of vacation both my mom and i like!
- her dropping me off at college and, when i cried about her leaving, offering in tears to look for a place to stay
- never mind that we were halfway across the world from home – she was ready to do it
- me asking her to pretend to not give me permission to attend things (school events or even regular hangs), because i did not want to go, and her immediately getting it
- the joy of a parent who understands well the Dread that comes with social occasions!
- eating popcorn together and talking about life
things/people that remind me of my mom
meryl streep
for some reason. think it's the class! the elegance! the mastery of what she does!
asian writers
my mom said she liked reading books by asian and women writers when i was a kid and that stuck with me – i keep an eye out for these books now too%3Aformat(jpeg)%3Amode_rgb()%3Aquality(90)%2Fdiscogs-images%2FR-9224968-1476975987-5642.jpeg.jpg)
luka by suzanna vega
i know it's such a sad song, but this is the song i remember her singing a lot using the karaoke installed in the house, and i love how my mom sings it
choco crunchies
i think she mentioned once that this was a treat to her, when she was a kid
fluffy white dogs
my mom adores her own fluffy white dog, so whenever i see one i can't help but think of her!
kakanin
mom generally keeps away from indulgences, but she can't resist this (and for good reason!)
neutrals & linens
my mom looks elegant even in her casual wear because she knows how to STYLE herself!! take notes, me 🫵
ma'am leni
an effective leader, a composed strategist, a loving mom!