Don't get mad when children don't visit

After reading about a man in Wuhan, Hubei province, who was angry that his daughter sent him a gift by mail for Mid-Autumn Festival instead of visiting, I thought: "What? Doesn't he own a computer?"

Two years ago, as I was contemplating coming to China from the United States, I knew it would be a long time before I would see my own elderly parents in person again. My mother is 82, my father is 90, and I have close relationships with both. I was concerned about the long-term break in communications, since they have increasingly turned to me, their eldest son, for support in recent years.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I was determined to get them a computer and teach them how to use Skype, a program that allows face-to-face video conferencing.