I have written before about my mom, and about my older sister who was like a mom to me. Now I think it is time to write about my new mom.
Keo Phanthavong is
True Thai's Mother of the Year. Anousone "Ped" Phanthavong's mother had five children, three daughters and two sons.
Anousone was a lot like his mother: soft-spoken, smiling all the time but shy, and always focused on the positive.
Keo gave birth to Anousone unassisted during a bombing raid on their village in Laos in 1972. Thirteen days after Ped was born, she took him across the Mekong River to get away from the bombing, which was the heaviest of the war.
Ped was very close to his mom. Whenever he saw her, he would always say that he wanted to fall asleep in her lap, and his mom would always say, "you're 38! aren't you a little old for that?" But I think she was always pleased when they had that conversation.
UPDATE! I just arrived at the restaurant and saw Ped's mom and dad in the alley planting 200 Thai chili plants. Two hundred! This means later this summer spicy food lovers will be eating Phanthavong peppers.
I think I may have also figured out who will be True Thai's Dad of the Year....
