For Hsiang

Happy birthday, son.

You are seven years old today. Time flies.

As your father, it's my duty to guide you and try my best to make you a better person. Same for mama, who has done a brilliant job thus far bringing both you and didi up.

But ultimately, it's you yourself who decide which path you want to tread, and what kind of person you want to be.

We love you unconditionally, I know you know that. But you are starting to make it hard for us to love you at times. Using our love as a leverage to get what you want is wrong, there is no leeway about it, no excuse, no justification to make that right.

It's just wrong. Period.

"You don't let me do this because you don't love me" is wrong, and it's hurtful. Do not use our love as a leverage, you will not get what you want saying that. Never.

Papa and mama will never yield to your twisted demand, because it's wrong, because it's a form of blackmailing, and we cannot let you think it's alright to do so. It's not something a decent person does. Really, there is no other way to put it, it's wrong.

Despite our best effort, you have attitude problem. Son, you are arrogant.

Yes, you are a smart boy, but no, you do not know everything and no, you are not always right. The world does not revolves around you, nor your whims.

Be humble, and keep an open mind, we should always be learning, always striving to be a better person.

At seven years of age, you have much to learn. Papa and mama still know a lot more compared to you and we are trying to teach you, to guide you to be a better person.

The sooner you understand this, the better, because if you keep thinking you know everything and you are always right, then you are only setting yourself up for failures.

Son, you are our firstborn, we love you. We know you are a decent person, how can you not be? You can be good if you want to, you can make us proud if you want to.

The question is: do you want to?

Papa and mama will try our best to guide you to be a better person, while we still can. You are not making that any easier, in fact, you are giving us a lot of headache and heartache lately.

Son, we can only do so much, changes have to come from self.