Luck

     "Stop shaking your leg; you'll shake the luck out" (Crying in H mart) these are words I've heard too often.

    I grew up in a fairly Indian household where superstitions were a part of my daily life. "Don't cut your nails at night" or "Don't shake your legs" was something that I heard often and even unconsciously follow to this day. 

    While reading Crying in H mart, the author's mother reminded me of my mom at times, especially with how she brought up superstitions and other reminders to make sure Michelle, the author, presented herself the best she could. 

    While this quote at first might not be seen as beautiful, the words Michelle's mother uses are not something complex that has multiple meanings and takes hours to understand, rather they are simple words that come from a mother worried for her daughter's luck and future.

    When this line first came up, I felt more connected to the book than I was before. Although these superstitions barely have any scientific reasoning behind them now, they are more of a way of showing that you care for another person. 

    After understanding the sentiment behind Michelle's mother's words and the way she acted, the overarching theme of the book became more evident to me. Michelle's mother is diagnosed with cancer later on in Michelle's life, and Michelle uses these flashbacks to show how her mother cared for her when she was younger. This parallels Michelle's time taking care of her mother while sick: cooking food for her, cleaning up for her, and staying by her side.

    With all this said, Michelle's mother's words hit deeper now. For Michelle's mother, the superstition of Michelle "shaking [her] luck out" was something that came from true worry for Michelle, who at the time didn't realize why her mother was constantly nagging her.