The Joy Luck Club - The Moon Lady

     "But I was very spoiled because of her; she had never taught me to think about her feelings." There are so many people in each of our lives that we take for granted. The almost cliche statement, "You don't know what you have until it's gone" becomes especially apparent to us when someone we unknowingly rely on moves on to another place in their life and we are left without them for some reason. Ying-Ying St. Clair says the opening quote of her amah, her caretaker. She talks about how the woman is always there for her when she wakes in the morning and how she loves her more than her own child whom she had to give up after the death of her husband. Still, she chooses to ignore the daily care her amah gives her and favors her almost absent mother. While this speaks strongly of the bond between a mother and her child, it shows the early expectations Ying-Ying faces of pleasing her parents and how this goal blocks out her attention to the care her amah gives her.
     During the chapter, Ying-Ying and her family go on a boat ride with their extended family for the Moon Festival and Ying-Ying wanders away while everyone is sleeping and falls off the back of the boat just as the firework celebration begins. Ying-Ying says, "I was surprised by the cool comfort of the water, so that at first I was not frightened...And I expected Amah to come immediately and pick me up. But in the instant that I began to choke, I knew that she would not come." Of course, the woman had not left Ying-Ying on purpose, she was unaware of her absence in the confusion of the celebration. I find it interesting though, that Ying-Ying simply expects her amah to be there when she is in need. We all have someone in our lives that we depend on as Ying-Ying did on her amah; whether it be a friend, family member, or teammate. In many instances we are also that rock for someone else. I believe that the message in Ying-Ying's quote is that we should not let ourselves or others be underappreciated. The support we give each other is valuable and should be respected. Earlier in the chapter, Ying-Ying says of herself, "And because I remained quiet for so long now my daugher does not hear me." Expressing our appreciation for the support we get from our families, classmates, teachers, and teammates reassures them of our recognition of their feelings. Also, on the flip side of that, we should also voice our own feelings and concerns so that we aren't taken advantage of.