This ain't Mother Goose

It's a 4-line rhythm that Sienna practiced today at her Chinese program. I translated here, literally:

"Daddy was feeling a bit tired when he came back,
I want to give him a massage for his comfort.
My little fists punched quickly on his back.
The puppy dog said I did something right."

Let's face it, artistically, it's a lousy rhythm. I laughed as I read it out loud from the printout. "This will make Daddy happy when you show him," I said to Sienna. The teacher heard it and said to me, "Oh, it will rhythm the same if you plug in 'Mommy'." That just cracked me up more.

Talk about preserving one's cultural values. This is one unique aspect of the Chinese value system that I don't mind keeping, the teaching of respecting and taking care of one's parents. I, for one, have the least expectation if any, when it comes to what my daughter would do for me. I believe my entitlement to her lasts only as long as she needs to be provided by me, say, till when she is 18 years old? The rest is her choice.

But it's just nice to know that she is being familiarized with this kind of rule of "give and take." Simply, people take care of each other. Parents happen to be the people who have been going all the way out to take care of you. It's especially nice to know Sienna has this in her already at such a tender age, without much teaching. She takes care of people around her, including us.

Last night, I, the clumsy mommy, stepped on one of my slippers and ripped it open.
Sienna: "Mommy, when I grow up, I buy you a pair of slippers."
Mommy: "Oh, how nice! How are you going to have the money to buy?"
Sienna: "I go to work."
Mommy: "Wow, what else will you get when you have the money?"
Sienna: "I buy my Daddy socks."

I told Daddy about our conversation. Daddy said she promised him the socks when she spotted a little hole on his socks the other day. She keeps her promise, till now! What can I say? At least our feet are going to be taken care of.