My mother taught me many important things – that being smart is always in, that looking “classy” beats looking “sexy” any day, that doing math is cool, etc. But probably the most important thing that she taught me is to kill them with kindness. The weird thing is my mom has had a really tough life. So if anyone is entitled to be grouchy and mean, it’s her. Yet, somehow, she’s always been very kind towards the people around her. She’s giving in so many ways, sometimes ways you don’t even see (that’s how good she is!). She’s a very kind, compassionate, and down to Earth soul. My mom has taught me that often, it is better to give than to receive. That no matter how successful you are, if you’re not the type of person other people want to hang out with, you’ve failed. And those lessons have shaped who I am today. Thank you mom and happy Mother’s Day!
– Kelly Yang
Kelly Yang is the managing director of The Kelly Yang Project, a writing program for students in Hong Kong which focuses on creative thinking and critical reasoning.
Revisit Kelly’s interview on No Country for Young Women
Kelly’s website kellyyang.com
Follow Kelly on Twitter
– Interview by Elena Rossini
