How does your mother or father look? Mine may look different from yours…or maybe not. Let me tell you a story about a parent who looked a bit odd, but for a child it’s not.

Once upon a time in a faraway land,

There lived a mother named Ming Ding and her only child she called Kulit.

The mother worked really hard for the child who was very much loved.

And gave everything any parent thought every child should have.

Until one day, huge dark clouds covered the whole sky.

And brought an unexpected sickness to the people in their town.

Worried for Kulit, Ming Ding prayed to God and asked for help.

Days and nights passed by until the clouds of sickness were gone.

Many lost their source of living, even Ming Ding was not spared.

Many got sick and even lost their loved ones.

The next morning, Ming Ding saw a pond full of fishes at the back of their house,

Looked up and smiled, she whispered, “Thank you God, you always provide.”

Ming Ding looked closer and noticed that some fishes were unfamiliar, thought it might not be good for Kulit.

Worried for her child’s safety, she decided to give only the familiar fishes to Kulit, and she ate those unfamiliar ones.

That small pond that appeared out of nowhere had been their way to survive. And they continued to eat the fishes from it.

One night while eating dinner, Ming Ding noticed that Kulit seemed to have gotten thinner.

Worried that Kulit might got sick, she gave her child more fishes to eat. “I think I’m full already, I don’t want fish now”, Kulit said. “I’m just cold. Can you hug me instead?”

She hurriedly did. “I feel better now, your arms are warm”. And she was relieved.

One day while preparing the fishes for lunch, Kulit arrived home from playing, and again seemed to have gotten smaller.

Worried for her son, Ming Ding said, “I know you’re tired and hungry, eat these fishes so you’ll be big and healthy”. “I’m just tired, can I rest on your lap instead?”, her son replied.

And so she ran fast and let Kulit’s head laid down on her lap. “I feel better now, your legs are warm”, Ding said. And she was relieved.

The next day Kulit uttered. Ming Ding looked down and asked her child, “Are you hungry my dear?”

“Nope. I just wanted to give you a kiss, but I could not reach you. Can you bow down?”.

Ming Ding carried Kulit instead and gave the warmest kiss. Then Kulit said, “I feel better now, your lips are so soft and warm, but the hair on your face stitched by cheek”.

Confused by what her child said, Mind Ding touched her face and felt the long projecting hair on her snout.

She ran fast to the pond, looked at the reflection in the water and almost did not recognize it – a reflection of someone who has changed a lot.

She cried not because of how she looked but after she felt a small cold hand that touched hers and saw the reflection of the thinner and smaller Ding beside her.

Ming Ding looked back and realized that all the days she was transforming into a matured, stronger, and hairy cat with fine lines and longer whiskers on its snout because of eating the unfamiliar fishes, Kulit was also changing but oddly from eating only the safe but unhealthy ones.

“Why are you crying?”, Kulit said.

“It’s okay mom, please don’t cry. I know you gave me all those familiar fishes because you were worried that I might get sick or hurt if I ate those odd ones. You just wanted to protect me so bad. But look at you now. Even though your stomach was upset the first time you ate those odd fishes and many times you got stitched by the small bones, or at times almost choked by the big ones, you look very strong and warm. Your beautiful, long gray hair kept me warm, alive and feel loved.”

“Let me eat those so I’d be like you – a strong and beautiful cat with long hairs and whiskers, brought by the fine lines and wrinkles of life.”

“Will you let me?”

“But I don’t want you to get hurt my child.”

“I’ll be careful I promise. If I get hurt or sick, I know you will always be there to help me, right? Kulit said with full of confidence and trust in Ming Ding’s love.

With happy tears in her eyes, Ming Ding replied, “Yes, my love. I will even give you my nine lives”. They both laughed so loud even after realizing what they looked now. Ming Ding looked up and smiled.