Editor's Note:
As Mother’s Day approaches, young Chinese people working and residing in a different city than their parents are seizing the opportunity to express love for their mothers. Dynamic discussions about what gifts to send home are being held online, with many feeling guilty about their physical distance. Is China’s changing society creating a gulf between parents and children? Is the concept of filial duty, a long-honored Chinese tradition, suffering from rapid urbanization? The Global Times asked two writers to comment.
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Online voices
@Xuzhou Talent
Our mothers' love is deeply rooted in our memory. They don't want much save to stay with us and to hear from us.
A simple phone call is sometimes the most precious gift for them, from her children working far away from home.
@Songshaner
We quite often forget about filial piety and ignore our mothers. This is a sad fact, and this is exactly why now we need this special day to compensate their losses.
Mother's Day never existed in our past history and tradition, because we valued filial piety so dearly in the old days and everyday could be this special day for our mothers. Now things have been changed.
@Li Hanqiu
It is true that our culture values filial piety dearly, but it is a broad concept that covers every of our senior family members. We need a special day like Mother's Day to give our gratitude specifically to mothers.
@Scorpionnie
As a migrant worker living in Beijing, a city far away from my hometown, I often feel shame and don't dare to look at my mother. She wanted me to stay even when she helped me pack and wished me good luck in this city. I wish all mothers around the world a happy Mother's Day and good health.
@Chen Lizhi
Mother's Day is approaching. Although I am not going to send her to a retirement home, she and my father have been living all by themselves. They have to take care of themselves while I can hardly visit them due to work. Aren't they actually living in a retirement home of their own?