Good weekend – let’s make the best out of it

image taken by ping he

In the last couple of days, I went through some tough time in my life. I am not sure whether I should say it in the blog, after a long time consideration, I think it is fine for me to tell you here. After four months busy from hospitals to hospitals, my mother finally was diagnosed an illness – mesothelioma, I checked in the Wikipedia, found out more about it. (it is a rare form of cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body’s internal organs, the mesothelium. It is usually caused by exposure to asbestos), my mum told me that during the Culture Revolution, she has to work in an asbestos factory for a year because she is too weak to work in the field. Most of the city girls who are relocate to the countryside has to work what ever the work you can get then. Now after more than 35 years, the illness emerged, and turned out to be very aggressive. I am sorry to describe it like this way. And it is weekend, I should not spoil the mood by telling something so horrible. But I just can not help it. On the one side, I am writing, working, and smelling, making beautiful things, on the other reality, my mum is suffering from enormous pain from the recently developed lung cancer from mesothelioma. That’s why I say it, good weekend, let’s make the best out of it.

In my life, I never get to know my mum so well, also because of Culture Revolution, she had to move around to get more works to do. Actually I am the result of the Culture Revolution. Without it, I was not be able to be born. Can you imagine two total strangers come together to get married without seeing each other even one minute. Then the marriage ended up a disaster. At the beginning of teenage, I went back to Shanghai to get to meet my mum all by myself during the summer holidays with a bag of changing clothes and a train tickets which my pap bought for me.

Yes, it is really sad to think back. Maybe the tough time makes me strong. I am only 1.60m high, but I am strong physically and mentally. So many things to think about my mother, about her marriage and her life. My elder brother died when he was two years old because of lack of nutrition in the countryside. Then my mum had me, she think I am her hope. She gave me a lot of freedom to do the things I like such as learning English, drawing, story telling and cooking.

My mum told me that the sky is my limit. I have many passions and perhaps too many. I love flowers, and work in the flower industry and make flower scented ping candles. I concentrate mainly on fragrance, flowers and textiles. I like Japanese gift packing, in general speaking, I love paper related products such as collages, watercolor paintings, Chinese ink drawings and papier-mâché. Recently I picked up my Fashion Illustration, started to learn digital photograph, make ceramic and give cooking workshops. It all helps me to move my mind away from my mother’s illness and it cheers me up.

I am not sure what you have mind for this weekend? I wish you can make the best out of it. Maybe buy nice bouquet for your loved ones? Maybe a short weekend out to a neighbor city? Maybe visit some family members you don’t see for many years?