Filial Piety

My poor mum adores me to death.
She misses me terribly, and the only thing she wants in this world is for me to move closer.
We have this conversation every time we call, and to my chagrin, rare are the times when I can keep my cool.

Her: "You're just staying in Toronto for your friends."
Me: "Uh...I'm planning on moving overseas to Asia next year.  Like I have so many friends over there."
Her: "But you only have one mother in this lifetime, won't you regret it when I pass away?"
Me: "I'm more concerned that I'll regret wasting this life, and not investing in eternity."
Her: "Don't you want to live for me?"
Me: "I'm living for Jesus, not for you."
Her: "In the chinese mindset you'd be considered unfilial, and cold."
Me: "Do you really think that I don't love you?"

Long silence.


She sounds so sad on the phone, and so what do I do?
Be even more of a jerk face and a half, and get terse with her.

The morale of the story?
It's one thing not to let your parents dictate your life, and to follow where God leads.
It's another to be a complete, insensitive jerk instead of helping them take that step of faith to let you follow Him.