3 Questions to Ask your Hmong Parents This Weekend!

For most of us, we lived with our parents for at least 18 of our most formative years. They taught and lectured us about the importance of family, the power of having an education, and the necessity of being a good person.

But even after so many years of living together, our parents can still seem like a mystery.

Who were they before they had us?
What were they like?
Do they lecture us about not being naughty because they were SUPER naughty themselves? (Probably.)

Find a time this weekend when you can get some alone time with either your mom or dad and get to know them better. 

Drive them around to do errands.
Wash the dishes with them.
Cook and set the table with them.
Clean up after dinner with them.

These are perfect times to have a one on one conversation with your mom or dad. 

Here are 3 simple questions that you can ask your parents this weekend to get to know your folks a little bit better (and don't be surprised if you hear some amazing stories as a result!):

Question #1: "How did you and mom/dad get together?"

You know that your parents created you, but do you know how they got together? Was it love at first sight? Was it a gradual romance that stemmed from a friendship? Was it an arranged marriage? Was it bride kidnapping?

You might be surprised to hear the answer. 

Question #2: "What was it like for you to cross the Mekong River?"

Most of us are alive only because our parents endured and survived the tragedy of war. They lived in the mountainous jungles of war-torn Laos and when it became too dangerous to stay, they escaped to refugee camps in Thailand then made their way to the US. That journey was not easy.

Take the time to ask them this question to hear their heroic story.

Question #3: "When you first came to America, what kind of life did you hope for?"

Believe it or not, your parents were once young and full of dreams as well. Although they had plenty of fears about coming to America, they also had an opportunity to start new. What kind of dreams did they have? You'll never know unless you ask :)

I believe that if you ask your parents these 3 questions, you'll learn things that you never knew. You'll hear amazing stories as well as tragic ones.

But the best thing about asking them these questions is that they'll know that you still love them and are still interested in them :)

Ask your parents these questions this weekend and please share interesting stories in the comments!