My mom sighed.

“I suppose you’ll want to do a video,” she intoned while watching me haul out my camera tripod from the closet.

I nodded absently, engrossed in the task at hand as I bustled about our very small living room. I rearranged furniture, prepared my back-drop, scripted dialogue on my portable whiteboard and set out appropriate props. Finalizations were made at last as I adjusted the tripod’s legs and fiddled to attach my phone to the bracket for taping.

“I’m almost ready!” I enthusiastically shouted out to the back room where my mom and the dog were hiding.

There was a pause.

“Do I have to be in it?” she called back. I detected some hope of her not participating.

Yes, you have to be in it! Isn’t that what moms are for, sacrificing for the benefit of their children’s happiness?

Our China rescue canine, Bridget, had no choice in the matter, either. Ears back and eyes in a panic, she pathetically hunkered down in her dog bed, thinking she’d escape notice. NOT!

So here is our recording, sent out today to my Chinese friends via WeChat for the beginning of their Chinese New Year celebrations. And to my mom: Thanks for being such a good sport. I’ll put that toward your 2022 brownie points for Best Mother of the Year.