A Beloved Leech Marylyn Chen

As the youngest in my family, I’ve always been what my older sister would call an attention-seeking leech. Always hungry, I feed on love, attention, and adoration as if it is my life source. But because I know how much it means to me, I try to return as much attention to each member of my family as I can, in various ways. For my mother, I am a “little cotton coat”, a dutiful listener to her rants about stressful days at work and a never-ending source of hugs. For my sister, I’ve matured from being her partner-in-crime to a frequent advisor, as though I am younger, I can be full of sageful wisdom. And for my grandparents, I am one of their greatest joys and sorrows, as my playful nature sometimes sees no bounds.

To my family as a whole, however, I play a different role: the mediator. Both fiercely hot-tempered, my mother and my sister fight over just about everything. Though flawed myself, I can see past the loud voices and scowls to understand their true meanings. So when I hear the familiar sound of my sister’s angry accusations of missed opportunities, I know she really means, I’m hurt because I thought you wanted the best for me, and when my mother fires back just as mercilessly, I know she means, I care about you and I...