By Philip Pai, September 12, 2019 — I have a friend who comes from Taiwan. She told me she worked hard and saved some money for her children. She expected someday [that] her son [would] have a good education and become a senator or president. One day I met her husband. He pointed to his son and said, “This young kid will be a commander in chief in the country.” Both of them love their boy very much.
[They worked hard] in order to help their son to study in the United States. [They] even bought a house for their son, but their son didn’t study as well or work. The couple [felt] very sorry for their child. When they talk about their son they always cry!
Meanwhile, I saw a lot of my friends when they came to the United States. They were very poor, but their kids worked hard and they also studied hard. Years later, they have their own business and get a master’s or Ph.D. degree. Every year they earned money and sent it to their parents who were in mainland China. The parents are very proud because they have such a good child. Sometimes I think money can make people happy, proud, or make a family cry. It depends [on] how you use it.
