My Mother

© by Gerald So | 8:00 PM

My parents, pediatric surgeons, were the best I could've had. My mother is a diabetic but, as I've been told, when she was pregnant with me her diabetes waned because I produced insulin for her. This excess insulin is said to have caused me to stop breathing for several minutes when I was only hours old, and my father helped save my life.

No one can predict how such incidents affect a body and brain. The left side of my body is less coordinated than the right. Drivers wouldn't want me on the road, and I wouldn't outrun anyone, but I exercise at my own pace, and mentally lead a full life.

Through it all, my mother has been my closest confidant, looking out for me, witnessing my disappointments and my joys having sacrificed her career in the Philippines to raise my brother and me in America, where my father became the breadwinner. As parents they gave me a balance of caution and courage that serves me well.

Before he died in May 2001, my father was able to see my mother get a pacemaker that has extended her life since then. I'm grateful she remains an engaged, capable person and that I'm able to help her and show my love today and every day.