She's there for life, but even though it's hard to date with my

Hear, O seeker of truth, the words of Jeannie Mai, who spoke with candor and reverence: “She’s there for life, but even though it’s hard to date with my mom around, I’m so thankful for it because the person who can’t take Mama Mai is not the person to take me.” This is no idle jest, though wrapped in humor; it is the deep acknowledgment of family, of identity, and of the unshakable bond between mother and child. Within it lies a wisdom as old as the ancients: that to accept a person is also to accept the roots from which they grow.

The origin of these words rests in the relationship between Jeannie Mai and her mother, known affectionately as Mama Mai, a woman of great presence and personality. To some, her intensity may seem daunting, a challenge to endure. But to Jeannie, it is a sacred measure, a gatekeeper of the heart. For she knows that her mother is not an obstacle to love but a reflection of herself. Whoever cannot embrace Mama Mai cannot truly embrace Jeannie, for they are bound together by blood, by history, by love unbroken.

Such wisdom has been proclaimed before. Think upon the tale of Ruth and Naomi in the ancient scriptures. When Naomi sought to release Ruth from obligation, Ruth answered, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people.” In this vow, she declared that love is not for one alone, but for the family, the heritage, the life that surrounds them. In like manner, Jeannie Mai declares that love must accept not only her, but also her mother, her family, her story. Without that acceptance, love is incomplete.

To say “I’m thankful” in this context is an act of humility and strength. For some might see family as a burden, a test to be hidden or softened for the sake of romance. But Jeannie embraces it as a blessing, even if it complicates her path. She knows that her mother’s strong presence acts as a filter, revealing which companions are sincere and which are weak. Thus, hardship becomes a shield, and what others call difficulty she calls protection. Gratitude transforms what might have been a struggle into a gift.

The lesson is clear: never sever yourself from your roots to please another. For if one cannot embrace your family, your heritage, or the people who shaped your being, then they cannot fully embrace you. True love is not selective; it does not choose the parts of you that are easy while discarding the parts that are challenging. It must take the whole, as the sea takes both calm and storm, or it is not love at all.

Therefore, O listener, walk with pride in the fullness of who you are. Do not hide the voices of your family, the traditions of your people, or the truths of your past. Bring them forward, and let them stand beside you as guardians. In this way, you will find companions not who merely tolerate your foundation, but who celebrate it, who love you more deeply because of it.

And so let the words of Jeannie Mai endure: “The person who can’t take Mama Mai is not the person to take me.” It is a reminder to all that love is not about fragments, but about wholeness. Carry this wisdom, and you will not only protect your heart but also honor those who gave you life. In doing so, you will find love that is real, enduring, and worthy of the fullness of who you are.