Jan. 23/08 – Jody will be going to the EQ Camp this weekend. Each parent is supposed to record a 3 min video of what they want to say to their child and here’s what I said:
Hello everyone. My name is Amy. I am Jody’s mom. I was asked to give a short message for Jody which is not easy.
Jody, no matter how much I try to squeeze all I want to say into 3 minutes, I can not. There is so much about you that I want to share with everyone in the camp with you but unfortunately since I am restricted with time, I will just mention a few things that cross my mind now.
I remember that the first time I cried “about” you was not because I was sad, but rather because the doctor had just told me that the baby in my womb is a girl. I could not stop the tears. Since then, I thanked God every day for bringing you to my life. You have been a very easy and loving child from the day you were born. Ever since you started talking, you would amaze me with some of the things that you’d say even at a very young age. I have always been so proud when others see how smart and polite you are; it just adds to my assurance that others can see what I see in you.
I remember when we were still living on Rupert Street in 2000. You were on a field trip with a few other classmates in the car. Then one of them said to you “Hey, look at that dollar store. My daddy owns that.” Then very proudly, you told him, “Look at that one, my mommy owns that and Amy is my mommy which is why the store is called Amy’s Loonie-Toonie Town.” It was such a wonderful feeling to know how proud you were of me. This example is among many others that just remind me of how wonderful a child you have always been.
Another incident I remember was going into the principal’s office for your interview with WPGA. One of the questions Mr. Austin asked you was why you loved your grandma. Your answer was “because without grandma, there would not be my mom.” I wanted to cry so much and to hold you to my side and tell you how much that statement melted my heart.
I also remember the incidents 4 years ago while we were still living in Upland. Kelvin was rebellious for 3 months and I would be crying at least 4 times a week because of that. Whenever you noticed me cry, you would come and hug me and cry with me. Then, one time, I asked you if you would upset me someday too. You told me “No, I never will”…. It was very comforting to hear that.
Moreover, I remember watching you play volleyball game in one of your tournaments; I was very proud to see how well you played.
I still remember that time when you were 7 years old; we were living in West Van then. Your lunch cost me $9.99 while Kelvin’s was only $99 cents because you liked sashimi and he liked hotdog. If I am considered successful today, then I have you to thank because you are definitely part of the motivation. I love you so much that I would work harder just to make sure that you get all the comfort that I can afford to give you.
The most recent incident I remember is the one while I was on my trip 3 months ago. I got a surprised BB message from you saying that you couldn’t stop crying after you finished reading an email about “Thanking your mother.” You told me you missed me very much. I then told you I saw the same email a few months back which was what motivated me to set a regular monthly dinner date with my mother. I suggested you and I do the same….. but I still have not heard from you about the first date. I understand that you are very busy. Please know that even though you never replied, I will continue to wait for that day…
Jody, my love for you will never be expressed enough. I love you way more than I can ever say. You remind me of my relationship with my mother very much. But I hope the difference will be that I won’t need to wait for you to become a mother yourself before you realize how important it is to be close to me. I am not giving up nor will I ever do which is why I continue to go to classes so I can learn to be a better mom for you and your siblings because you mean the world to me….
I love you Jody.
Video greetings for Jody’s EQ camp = 6