My Mom

I want to talk a little bit about the woman you gave me birth and the reason that I am alive today. She is a strong woman, but a compassionate mother. When she came to visit me in college my roommates were scared of her. The boys that was interested in me, except for Chad was scared of her. She scared all our friends. When I was a teenager, maybe she still do it now, when people called for me she would give them the 20 questions and then say I wasn't home. I think she did that to my sister, too. I was the oldest, so it was roughest on me. Ol, my brother, is the only boy and boys can do whatever they want... and my sister, Satha, is the baby and a lot younger than Ol and I.

Dad and Mom (Am and Vath Chea)

My mom and I didn't see eye to eye when I was a teenager. Well, I don't think that happens alot in most families, but mine was a little different. I was not allowed to have friends or go out. No soccer, no dating, no dances, no parties, no sleepovers... nothing but school, home, and church (only on Sunday) Basically, I was grounded my whole teenage life. I guess it was a culture thing. I never got a compliment from my parents. (Well, we know I worked that out, because I am a little conceded. That's another story.) Let's just say, I couldn't wait to go away for college.

My father was against me going to college (that culture thing again), it was my mom who supported me. She gave me money to pay the rent... she visited with food (she likes feeding people). My mother and I had the best relationship when we were far away from each other. When I had my first baby, I knew I needed to stay away or we would have problems. I learned in college that she really cared and was trying to look out for me the best way she knew how.

Sometimes I get upset with her when she tells me stuff I am doing wrong or spoils the girls too much. She overfeeds them (she likes feeding people). I won't mind so much if only she would give something other than chips. I guess a grandmother's job is to spoil the grand kids. She told me the other day why she likes to feed them. Well, it goes back to the Killing Fields. When my brother and I was born we were ruled my the Khmer Rouge and there wasn't enough food. Stupid Pol Pot. I was 2 and my brother was an infant. My mother tried to breastfeed both of us, but she didn't have enough. She didn't have enough food for herself to keep making a good supply of milk. She said we would look so sickly and I would always be so hungry. She always imitate me with my toddler talk asking for food. "Tawin (Savin) hungry. Tawin wants food. Tawin wants breast milk." I guess when we came to the States, she made up for it, because both my brother and I are overweight. If it wasn't for her I might have died like a lot of kids at that time.

So she says she remembers that when she sees little kids and she needs to feed them. She don't care what, just as long as they are full and happy. That means if they want ice cream and doughnuts, she will put them in the car and go buy it. She has done that for my children.

My mom is the best even if she gets me mad sometimes. Yesterday she bought me some pants. It was only $4, but it was still nice. She still try to feed me and sometimes she comes over to weed the yard or clean the garage.

It will only be my mom and I on this trip to Cambodia. I am so excited and I can't wait to learn more about my mom. I love my mom and I know she loves me, even if she never says it.

Mom, Dad, and Ron Dale (Mom and Dad getting married. They need the license to put Mom on Dad's insurance. They never needed it before... they had been married before they came to the country. Everything said they were married. It was fun though, I got them a cake and everything. They didn't want to make a big deal. They tried to get notarise, but they wouldn't do it so Bishop Woodbury married them. That might look confusing to someone doing Genealogy later.)