Mother’s Day is upon us again and I am writing with an update of my mother’s circumstance. Around this time last year I shared my account with USA Today, and my story was published on Mother’s Day. Sadly, the morning after Mother’s Day, the Intermediate Court notified my family that the court maintained the original verdict, a six-year sentence. Three days later my mom was sent to the same prison where she had once been jailed for two years. Last year we filed appeals to the court. We just heard back three weeks ago. The court responded that they cannot process our appeals. We asked to know the reason and they said, “Cases involving Falun Gong will not be accepted by the court. These are the rules.” We asked them to show us the written “rules.” They simply stated, “These are secret documents from higher authorities.” One officer at the court even said, “Your case is not something we can handle. We are only a court. This issue is beyond our scope.” His words may sound ridiculous in any other modern country, but in China, this is the dilemma of the legal system. The court is not ruled by law; it is ruled by the Party. We won’t give up on the law. We revised our appeal and filed it to the Provincial Higher Court. We will continue to persist. So far, there has been no feedback whatsoever. My mom is a kind, loving mother and she is the best teacher. She encouraged me to come to the U.S. and chase my dream. I would not be the person I am now if it wasn’t for her. I have never said these things to my mom yet in person, but I really wish I had. What I now want is simple: being able to say “thank you” to her and tell her how proud I am of her, face to face. Most importantly, I want her to have religious freedom no matter where she is. I had a dream last week that my mom returned home safe and sound. I hope you take Mother’s Day as a chance to understand your mom better and to express your appreciation and love for her. Thank you for your support. Happy Mother’s Day!