我中文打得太慢, 大家就将就看英文吧…
My due date was May 20th. Afraid that my little wiggler would arrive a little sooner, my parents arrived here on May 4th. We anxiously waited for the little baby to show up, but she took her time and finally on May 27th, I was holding my 10-pound chubby girl- Xinxin in my arms.
In the 5 months that followed, Xinxin was showered in love, not only love from her mom and dad, but also her grandparents, who took such good care of her that she never got even a diaper rash. My parents were there when Xinxin smiled us for the first time, when she cried after her first vaccine shots, and when her first little tooth appeared. They enjoyed each other so such that even her dad and I were jealous.
Good time always flashes by. My parents were due to return to China in early Nov. I struggles with whether to petition for an extension of their stay but decided against it after hearing so many cases of denial. No need to mention that saying goodbye was hard…
Three days after my parents got back to China, my mom purchased a ticket to come back. Her multi-entry visa was still valid and her yearning for her little grandbaby justifies taking a chance at the border. Not knowing how long she would be allowed to stay by the USCIS person, she bought a 6-months open return ticket. We were all hoping for the best – 6 months, but knew we were at the mercy of whoever stamps her passport in San Francisco.
Today is the big day! We have been saying to Xinxin – ‘Grandma is coming back. Remember Grandma, she loves you so much!’. You would think that a half-year old would not understand. But our little sweetheart woke up 10 times last night. And when she got up this morning, she was super excited and alert. She refused to take her naps this morning, just laughing and giggling. You could not tell me that she was not sensing grandma and getting excited about it!
Then at about noon, we got the call from grandma from the San Francisco airport. When she got to immigration, they only gave her ONE MONTH. She tried to argue and showed the letter that I had prepared, explaining why she was coming back. They would not listen and sent her to a separate room, where she was questioned and challenged again. I am so proud of my mom. Always modest and reserved, she had the guts to speak up and reason with them. How could she intend to permanently stay here her husband and son are both back in China? All she wanted was to spend more time with her daughter before she gets too old to travel! They finally changed it to 3 months and let her go.
I just want to share this with all of you in case you are in a similar situation and planning your parents’ reentry. I guess my frustration is that if we tell the truth about the granddaughter, my parents would not have been allowed in to start with. Why is it so hard for Americans to understand that children not only need their parents. The loving tender care and guidance from their grandparents contribute to the healthy growing experience of a child as well!
My poor mom, she is now sitting at the terminal in San Francisco, waiting six hours for her connection flight. She missed her original one because she spent too much time hassling the immigration people. But she says, for the little Xinxin, everything is worth it….
Here’s the little one that my mom thinks about all the time. Yeah, for her, everything is worth it….
