I don't know who needs to hear this - and if your parents never taught you this, then I am your Vietnamese auntie and I will tell you now - but being considerate with how you store your leftovers is a caring gesture. What do I mean by that?

In my early 20s, when I first moved away from home, I lived in a crowded house with other roommates, and we all shared the kitchen and food budget (that means we all pooled equally into the food budget and all the foods are communal properties).

One day, I opened the fridge and saw a large-sized box of pizza obnoxiously taking up all of the space on the upper shelf, haphazardly blocking other items. I peeked inside the box and saw one, one lonely slice of pizza that was carelessly left in a large box and thrown inside the fridge, taking up space that could have been used for other food items.

That sloppy, inconsiderate gesture would have rendered you on the other side of some sharp scolding and angry frowns in my parents' home - or most Vietnamese homes in general, where family meals and thus communal mindfulness are part of the culture.

Fridge space issue aside, imagine if you were the person who was supposed to receive that leftover slice of pizza. You came home from a long, tough day at work. Which scenario would make you feel a little more like a dignified human: a slice of pizza wrapped carefully in tin foil placed on a plate for you (or in a container that fits the piece), or what looks to be scraps for the pigs, but instead it's for you?

This is why every time Dad had to miss a family meal because he had to work, or my sister had to eat later because of school, Mom always made sure the leftovers for them are properly stored in a dignified way. That means fish bones are removed, everything is tidied up and transferred to a proportionate plate or container, and there is a cover for every dish.

It's a minor gesture but it shows immense thoughtfulness, not just for the person who eats the leftovers, but for yourself. Because we believe that the integrity you exhibit in your daily small actions, especially in how considerate you are of the people around you, carry over to how trustworthy of a person you are as a whole.

Call me an curmudgeonly stickler if you want. But these are the values Momma raised me with, and I'm not changing them. 🙂