 |
| Adeline Yen Mah |
Chinese Cinderella is my autobiography. It was difficult and painful to write but I felt compelled to do so. Though mine is but a simple, personal tale of my childhood, please do not underestimate the power of such stories. In one way or another, every one of us has been shaped and moulded by the stories we have read and absorbed in the past. All stories, including fairy tales, present elemental truth which can sometimes your inner life and become part of you.
The fact that this story is true may hold special appeal. Today, the world is very different place. Though my Chinese parents still prefer sons, daughters are not so much despised. But the real things have not changed. It is still important to be truthful and loyal; to do the best you can; to make me most of your talents; to be happy with the simple things in life; and to believe deep down that you will ultimately triumph if you try hard enough to prove your worth.
To those who were neglected and unloved as children, I have a particular message. In spite of what your abusers would have had you believe, please be convinced that each of you has within you something precious and unique. Chinese Cinderella is dedicated to you with the fervent wish that you will persist in trying to do your best in the face of hopelessness; to have faith that in the end your spirit will prevail; to transcend your traumas and transform them into a source of courage, creativity and compassion.
Mother Teresa once said that 'loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted are the greatest poverty'. To this I will add; 'Please belive that one single positive dream is more important than a thousand negative realities'.
------------
Taken from Adeline Yen Mah's preface.'Puffin Books'.1999.
No comments:
Post a Comment