40 Comments
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nicole's avatar

hi there! i just wanted to share that I was really inspired by this piece and chose to write a poem reflection on my dad and I’s relationship for one of my writing based classes this week :ā€) thanks for the touching read <3

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shani's avatar

thank you for telling me! this makes me so happy to hear :)

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amira ā˜† Ų£Ł…ŁŠŲ±Ų©'s avatar

I just stumbled upon this and it hit a spot in my heart so deep I’m in awe.

ā€œI know joy was never a thing you learned to reach for.ā€ šŸ’” Trying to rewire our parents’ minds to know joy while simultaneously trying not to drown ourselves is the most painful yet rewarding experience ever.

Beautiful, heartfelt writing šŸ«¶šŸ»

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Ines Lee's avatar

This is beautiful. You captured the feelings of sadness, misunderstanding, and above all love so eloquently. The watercolors are glorious too!

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Esther's avatar

next level beauty

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shani's avatar

love you

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Stella's avatar

OUCH OUCH OUCH got me good!

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chi's avatar

sobbing. this is so real for children of immigrants, thank you for writing this.

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shani's avatar

sending love ā¤ļø

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Ky 🫧's avatar

This resonated so much with me! I thought of my parents, of their upbringing in poverty, my grandmother telling stories of hiding from Japanese soldiers, my mother barefoot until 7, and I can barely even comprehend the sacrifices they've made to ensure we never got to experience what they did. I wish I could read your lovely letter to my own mother, but that would require me to translate it to Chinese - and so this too shall remain a wish <3

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Hungry Moon's avatar

This is a really beautiful, heartfelt piece. Thank you for sharing it :')

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mel's avatar

tears. immediately made me fucking cry. thank you for this work of art.

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shani's avatar

thank you for reading Melinda <3

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Karl Sapp's avatar

I’m 49 and raised in America. I spent some of my formative years in China. I feel what you’ve written here very deeply in my bones. Thank you for sharing.

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shani's avatar

Thank you for reading Karl. I’m happy it resonates with you.

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anais's avatar

i loved this so much

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shani's avatar

thank you!!

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Erl Happ's avatar

my response as an 82 year old who lost his Dad 60 years ago. I wish I could do watercolours. Have This translated and send to your parents. Seems to me that its from a long tradition... the Confucian trained scholar/administrator who illustrated his poems with pen and ink. It reflects a sensitivity that is rare.

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Rahma B šŸ's avatar

Heart-achingly beautiful ā¤ļø hope you guys get to surface for air together šŸ„¹šŸ«¶šŸ»

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Vanida's avatar

This literally made me cry. This was beautiful

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cesar's avatar

This is very beautiful. Thanks Shani

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Diane's avatar

You write with such honest, visceral feeling-it’s as invigorating as it is heartbreaking in this piece. You take us all with you. Kudos, again. I can tell this took a lot of courage and heart to write.

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