Happy Birthday Mum!

Dear Mum,

Happy 35th Birthday! (Just joking). I'm not around to celebrate your birthday this year, for the first time in my 23.smth years - but you know I'll be with you in spirit Thank you for everything that you have done for me over the past 23.smth years. I wouldn't have grown this big and fat without your nutritious meals, nor would I have been able to enjoy myself here in Cornell without your encouragement.

Funny how it seems like yesterday when you commanded me to kneel down at the sofa bed with my pants down, sped home from the Loyang office, whacked the shit out of my backside and then rush back to work - all because I screamed at grandma. (By the way, I really waited 30min on my knees for you. I didn't even dare to go to the toilet!)

I also want to thank you for driving me around for tennis and golf trainings.. without you, I wouldn't be half the golfer I am now - and wouldn't have been able to make extra "pocket-money" through my golf games =). If you hadn't encouraged me to play sports, I could well be hitting the 300pound mark by now. Thank you for the dozens of autographed soccer balls you bought me from all over Europe. Thank you for the table tennis table. Thank you for the pool table. Thank you for my Titleists and Callaways. Thank you for the Shot Put! Thank you for my Wilsons and Yonexes. Thank you for my car. Thank you for Ruffles. Thank you for the Little Tikes house and cars. Thank you for my Captain Planet, Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Karate Kid and Transformers toys. Thank you for my gameboys, segas, nintendos, computers and playstations. Thank you for the Manchester and Barcelona jerseys. Thank you for Gordon Ramsey's. Thank you for my mahjong table and tiles. Thank you for my poker set.

Thank you for being so tolerant of my friends and I when we tore up the garden playing 5-a-side football. Thank you for not screaming at me when you came home to a house scattered with BB pellets. Thank you for being so hospitable to all my friends, from church, from school, from army. Thank you for not killing me when I smashed a tennis ball into the side mirror of the car, when I sent the car-porch lights crashing down, when I broke your teapots playing basketball and football in your room. Thank you for letting me sleep in your room until I was in secondary school. Thank you for patting my head until I fell asleep when I was younger.

Thank you for being so open about family finances with me. Thank you for sharing about business experiences, good and bad. Thank you for guiding me on my various projects. Thank you for helping me do my art homework when I was little - and sometimes in secondary school. Thank you for understanding when I feel down over stupid girl problems and for not probing. Thank you for always telling me that I can conquer mountains. Thank you for always preparing my favourite foods during exam periods.

Thank you for being an inspiration during times of desparation. Thank you for being a wise and patient counsel in crazy times. Thank you for being there to hold the whole family in prayer when none of us prayed. Thank you for continually praying for me even though I never pray any more. Thank you for assuring me about things at times I was on the verge of breaking down. Thank you for understanding me so well. Thank you for being able to allay all my deepest fears. Thank you for bearing with my horrible temper. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you helping me pack maggi porridge, heh bee, china mushrooms, abalones, chinese herbs, dried scallops and all my vitamins/medicine for my Cornell exchange. Thank you for so many other things!

I cannot thank you enough for the things you have done for me, and the things that you will continue to do for me in the future. That's what makes you a great mother - one who makes unconditional sacrifices for her family. Sorry for not always appreciating you and sorry for the times I made you cry.

I love you mum.


Your son
Daniel