-^-for posterity-^-

a child has a moral debt to pay their parents. they have given them food, shelter and, more importantly, life. in vietnam, this rests at the base of culture. people used to not cut their hair because that would be desecrating the body their parents gave them. to cut your hair or to shave would show that you are not pleased with who you are. while this debt could never be paid off, people are not fatalistic about it. it is their duty to compensate their parents in any way possible. they would never put their parents in a nursing home. they try to make their families as happy and content as possible and this means listening to their parents in every circumstance. we are not taught this. i believe we are taught that it is the parent's responsibility to raise the children. it is some how their duty and, while we should be thankful and loving, it is definitely not a prerequisite. if a parent does a poor job of raising a child, that child will not show eternal love or thanks. things are not the same here. we are to thank all of our ancestors for giving life to the next generation. if it wouldn't be for them, we would not be here. i think we, in western culture, overlook that a bit much.