Wear decent clothing for God’s sake; pop on your retainers, every night, every morning, don’t skip it, don’t have crooked teeth; brush for at least two minutes each time…this is non-negotiable; you must learn to be independent, I will not be by your side forever; this is how you fold a blanket; this is how you organize your closet (wait…yours is a mess); this is how you wash the dishes; this is how you operate the spin cycle; feed your body and your mind; this is what a balanced diet includes; you must learn how to cook because food is love; this is how you fry an egg; this is how you operate an oven; this is how you sweep the floors; this is how you organize the fridge; this is what your room should look like, always; you must make reading a habit, for words is the world; (wait…aren’t there other ways to explore the world?); you must work hard; you must try your best and never give up; there will be times when it feels easier to quit, but you mustn’t; always have high expectations for yourself and low expectations for others—-this way, you won’t be easily disappointed; you mustn’t forget where you come from, never; this is how you make dumplings; this is how you make mooncakes; this is how you steam rice so that it is of the perfect softness; this is how you write Chinese characters; this is how you pronounce the characters right; this is how you greet others in Chinese (wait, there’s more than ni hao?); you mustn’t forget to pass the lineage down; teach your children how to make dumplings; teach them how to speak Chinese; tell them the tale of the Mid-Autumn Festival; tell them the tale of Chinese New Year; you must be grateful, always, for the sacrifices your parents made; this is how you honor them; you must be honest; nobody will be friends with a dishonest person; honestly is the currency of trust; lastly, you must love yourself, unapologetically; you must learn to love yourself before you can love anyone else; you must remember that I am here with you, I love you more than anyone; (Wait…I love you too, Mom!)