pillars

this is my mum and dad, here about 23-24 years old, just married and moved into their first house. i found these photos recently in a desk drawer and kind of fell in love with them. my parents came to australia around 1972, along with a large group of other young vietnamese students. they were about 19 years old. they wouldn’t see their families until the 1990s. my mum is the eldest of five and my dad is the second eldest of ten siblings. my dad is a huge nerd. when he was younger, he wanted to be a mathematician. he is always very, very logical and thinks a lot (lots and lots and lots about us), which escapes me because i seem to just go by whim and words seem to tumble out of my mouth without originating from my brain. but i inherited his strong eyebrows and his stomping feet, when i walk around the house my mum sometimes thinks its my dad. mum’s really the captain of this ship. she is quietly strong, has the biggest heart and just doesn’t stop. she likes woody allen films and robert redford, simon & garfunkel and the beach boys. we get our culture munching bug from mum. she keeps everything in motion in the most difficult times and reminds me that i have to keep moving also. dad's currently in the hospital recovering from a minor stroke and it shook me in a way i've never felt before. seeing him so helpless and frail is so illusion breaking, its so easy to forget that your parents are flesh and bone people too. seeing mum hold it all together, i'm so proud of her and so grateful. i don’t know what i’d do without them. they’re pretty great.