August 12, 2003

My mom is selling her tailoring shop either the end of this week or the next. She's had it ever since we moved to California, so that makes it about 23 years. She's built a pretty good business, has two to three employees and the recommendation of most of the community of Fullerton, perhaps of a good part of Orange County.

My mom is one of those parents you can't imagine not working. She puts in six days out of the week in that shop, and the racks are always full of orders. My father helps out on Saturdays, probably to spend time with her, since he doesn't sew.

So after more that two decades, she's selling the shop and retiring. I'm glad for her. She never really liked working there. After all, she has a Masters in Chinese Literature and expected to teach or research, not repair rips in clothes.

Luckily, she's been into arts and crafts for the past several years. I'm sure my leaving for college has put it into her head that she won't be working forever. They took our old "Big Room" (where me and my friends played Dungeons and Dragons into the wee hours of the morn) and turned it into an art studio. She has glassworks, watercolors, paints, and caligraphy.

She deserves her retirement. I don't know of anyone else who has worked harder. My only worry is that she won't know how to enjoy her free time, having had none since I was alive, but there are worse things to worry about.

Happy Retirement Mom.