Introduction to Cool Parenting by author Esther Lee’s older sister, Grace (Shu-min) Hsieh.
My Younger Sister Esther
By (Grace) Shu-min Lee Hsieh
Esther was born in Gan Su district's Xi Feng city, the second of the family, with an older sister, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. Our father, being an army officer, spent most of his time away from home, leaving my mother to take care of everything without complaint, and bearing hard times diligently. My parents lived in the era when the World War II was coming to an end, and times were very tough. When mother was pregnant with Esther, food was scarce; she was born weak and often got ill. She constantly suffered from high fevers and convulsions. The doctors, not knowing what to do, would tell my mother: "Forget it, take her home!" over and over again. Mother would only pray in tears. No wonder she would say: "This child was raised by faith." And Esther’s Chinese name (Xin) means faith because of that.
In 1949, the whole family emigrated from Mainland China to southern Taiwan. Never a picky eater, Esther loved all sorts of fruits. Once, the two of us went to the end of the alley to buy fruits. Little five year old Esther stared at all the different varieties on display, but in the end we could only take a couple of cheap bananas home. On the way, she pulled on my skirt and said, indignant: "Sis, when I grow up, I'll marry a fruit vendor, that way we can eat fruit every day." That's Esther, so pure, so direct!
Esther has a lot of patience and perseverance. She began learning the piano at eleven, with Mother being her first teacher. At the time, we didn't have our own piano at home, so when Mother taught two sisters, she didn't charge them tuition under the condition that Esther be allowed to practice piano at their home. Esther would walk forty minutes to practice piano every day, regardless of weather, keeping the course without feeling it to be a burden. Later, as her skill improved quickly, she was accepted by famous teachers. She was even able to capture the spirit of composing, and completely dedicated herself to it. The motion of her fingers grasped the melodious realms with such skill that those who listened were deeply touched. She was also good at sight reading; able to pick up entire measures of music at a glance. She began playing for the church at thirteen, and could accompany Handel's Messiah at 14. No wonder she was able to easily win the first place at the all-Taiwan piano competition in college.
After Esther graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University, she served for a year, and then went to the United States to study childhood education at the Northern Illinois University, receiving a master's degree there. She continued her education at Purdue University in Indiana and received a Ph.D. at 26. After she married, she became even more competent as a wife and mother, her excellent cooking skills not only pleasing to her husband, but treating her guests to both Eastern and Western desserts. The house’s window treatments and bed sheets as well as her daughters’ clothes, were all sewn by her own hands. She was indeed the perfect professional woman and housewife, teaching, giving lectures and studying; then teaching her children to read (both Chinese and English books) and play the piano; keeping her husband company while she prepared her own lessons. She was always multi-tasking - doing several things at the same time yet completing them both quickly and well. She never wastes any time, using each moment to its fullest. Our mother, when she was alive, praised her to be: "able in culture and war, with nerves of steel and a poetic heart." Her eldest daughter has graduated from Northwestern University with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and her younger daughter received an MBA from Harvard University. What's more, though the children were born in America, they can both speak and write Chinese. They've also won numerous awards in state-wide piano competitions. All of these hard-earned accomplishments are of great comfort to Esther, demonstrating that her hard work was not wasted.
Esther deeply loves China and America. In her own busy life, she continues to take time to care for the world around her; personally getting involved in the community affairs, applying for all sorts of research grants and participating in grassroots political movements. She also established a Chinese school in Clear City of Houston and wrote the weekly “Overseas Chinese" column for the World Journal for over a decade, bridging Chinese and American cultures and beliefs, encouraging the Chinese to participate in politics and seize a place and benefits for the Chinese Americans. In the last couple of years, she also devoted herself into encouraging parent-child interaction, sharing what she has taught, learned, and experienced on the World Journal – Interactive Parenting column - for her fellow immigrants. Last year (2002) she became the Dean of the Graduate School at Troy State University Montgomery, Alabama. Because of her busy schedule, she had to take a break from column writing. Yet, she still burns with love for the masses.
What I admire about Esther most is her faith and spirit. Through her faith in God, she boldly goes forward and is willing to take up the responsibility and the burden. She faces all tasks/challenges with full strength, willing to work hard and endure patiently. When she meets obstacles, she is willing to reflect and make improvements. Open-minded, she can both take up responsibility and set it down again. She can see the big picture, and thus is always thankful and joyful. A little bit stubborn, a little bit proud, and yet all the more also humble, that's my younger sister Esther!
Translated by Mary M. Lin of Orlando, FL as of June 25.2012
My Younger Sister Esther
By (Grace) Shu-min Lee Hsieh
Esther was born in Gan Su district's Xi Feng city, the second of the family, with an older sister, two younger brothers, and a younger sister. Our father, being an army officer, spent most of his time away from home, leaving my mother to take care of everything without complaint, and bearing hard times diligently. My parents lived in the era when the World War II was coming to an end, and times were very tough. When mother was pregnant with Esther, food was scarce; she was born weak and often got ill. She constantly suffered from high fevers and convulsions. The doctors, not knowing what to do, would tell my mother: "Forget it, take her home!" over and over again. Mother would only pray in tears. No wonder she would say: "This child was raised by faith." And Esther’s Chinese name (Xin) means faith because of that.
In 1949, the whole family emigrated from Mainland China to southern Taiwan. Never a picky eater, Esther loved all sorts of fruits. Once, the two of us went to the end of the alley to buy fruits. Little five year old Esther stared at all the different varieties on display, but in the end we could only take a couple of cheap bananas home. On the way, she pulled on my skirt and said, indignant: "Sis, when I grow up, I'll marry a fruit vendor, that way we can eat fruit every day." That's Esther, so pure, so direct!
Esther has a lot of patience and perseverance. She began learning the piano at eleven, with Mother being her first teacher. At the time, we didn't have our own piano at home, so when Mother taught two sisters, she didn't charge them tuition under the condition that Esther be allowed to practice piano at their home. Esther would walk forty minutes to practice piano every day, regardless of weather, keeping the course without feeling it to be a burden. Later, as her skill improved quickly, she was accepted by famous teachers. She was even able to capture the spirit of composing, and completely dedicated herself to it. The motion of her fingers grasped the melodious realms with such skill that those who listened were deeply touched. She was also good at sight reading; able to pick up entire measures of music at a glance. She began playing for the church at thirteen, and could accompany Handel's Messiah at 14. No wonder she was able to easily win the first place at the all-Taiwan piano competition in college.
After Esther graduated from the National Taiwan Normal University, she served for a year, and then went to the United States to study childhood education at the Northern Illinois University, receiving a master's degree there. She continued her education at Purdue University in Indiana and received a Ph.D. at 26. After she married, she became even more competent as a wife and mother, her excellent cooking skills not only pleasing to her husband, but treating her guests to both Eastern and Western desserts. The house’s window treatments and bed sheets as well as her daughters’ clothes, were all sewn by her own hands. She was indeed the perfect professional woman and housewife, teaching, giving lectures and studying; then teaching her children to read (both Chinese and English books) and play the piano; keeping her husband company while she prepared her own lessons. She was always multi-tasking - doing several things at the same time yet completing them both quickly and well. She never wastes any time, using each moment to its fullest. Our mother, when she was alive, praised her to be: "able in culture and war, with nerves of steel and a poetic heart." Her eldest daughter has graduated from Northwestern University with a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and her younger daughter received an MBA from Harvard University. What's more, though the children were born in America, they can both speak and write Chinese. They've also won numerous awards in state-wide piano competitions. All of these hard-earned accomplishments are of great comfort to Esther, demonstrating that her hard work was not wasted.
Esther deeply loves China and America. In her own busy life, she continues to take time to care for the world around her; personally getting involved in the community affairs, applying for all sorts of research grants and participating in grassroots political movements. She also established a Chinese school in Clear City of Houston and wrote the weekly “Overseas Chinese" column for the World Journal for over a decade, bridging Chinese and American cultures and beliefs, encouraging the Chinese to participate in politics and seize a place and benefits for the Chinese Americans. In the last couple of years, she also devoted herself into encouraging parent-child interaction, sharing what she has taught, learned, and experienced on the World Journal – Interactive Parenting column - for her fellow immigrants. Last year (2002) she became the Dean of the Graduate School at Troy State University Montgomery, Alabama. Because of her busy schedule, she had to take a break from column writing. Yet, she still burns with love for the masses.
What I admire about Esther most is her faith and spirit. Through her faith in God, she boldly goes forward and is willing to take up the responsibility and the burden. She faces all tasks/challenges with full strength, willing to work hard and endure patiently. When she meets obstacles, she is willing to reflect and make improvements. Open-minded, she can both take up responsibility and set it down again. She can see the big picture, and thus is always thankful and joyful. A little bit stubborn, a little bit proud, and yet all the more also humble, that's my younger sister Esther!
Translated by Mary M. Lin of Orlando, FL as of June 25.2012