Reporter
I’m not ashamed to admit I sometimes talk with my mom over the phone for more than an hour, even though I’m nearly 20 years old.
I know some of you never call your parents. And some only reply with “fine,” “yes” and “hmm” every time they call you. You may not know how much parents want to get closer to their children’s lives. I can feel that from the enthusiastic voice of my own parents, and from the excited faces I saw during Family Weekend.
Our parents used to give all their attention to us, because if they didn’t, we would have died of hunger, diseases or stress. To learn more about us has become their instinct. It will be a hard time for them not hearing from us for a whole week. A little bit about our life can make their day, even if it’s just complaints about an awful lunch.
I once heard a mother complaining that she can only speak with her son for five minutes every time before he gets annoyed and asks to hang up. What a shame to upset your mom and dad like that.
It’s not only for your parents that you spend a little less time on social media and talk to them for a few more minutes. The communication benefits you as well.
As university students we think we are independent adults. We live far from home and we seem to be dealing with everything by ourselves. But we still need support and comforts, more than most of us would think. We can get them from our parents, no matter how different our and their lives are.
My parents, who live in Hangzhou, a manufacturing hub in eastern China, have no idea how to be a student reporter in a university in the United States. They cannot even understand my stories written in English. But every time I feel confused or stressful they can help me out. They know the right words to say, because they know everything about me.
Your parents know everything about you, too. They know time management is your weakness; they know you are used to staying up late; they know you hate writing papers; they know vanilla ice cream is your favorite and it can cheer you up.
There were times when I felt my parents didn’t understand me, but later I realized that was because I didn’t explain to them enough. They are far away so it’s not easy to let them understand my troubles. But once they do, they offer me the best advice.
Technologies, fashions and knowledge change every day and our parents may not catch up with them. But the secrets in managing the emotion, dealing with people and pursuing dreams never change, and our parents know much more than us.
You have hundreds of friends on Facebook and you spend hours and hours writing posts and taking pictures for them. But most of them don’t care. Isn’t it wiser to spend one hour every week to have a nice chat with someone who will focus on all the details of your life?
People often say “when you have your own children you will understand.” But I don’t want to keep my mom and dad waiting. I don’t want to miss the chance to enjoy the time with people who love me the most. Let me call them now.
Viola Zhou is an exchange student and journalism major from Hangzhou, China. She is a reporter for the Lariat.
