Far and Near

My Dearest Olivia,

I am writing this letter to you in deep sorrow and grieve. Your Tai Tai, my beloved mother and your great grandmother, went to be with the Lord today, at the age of 96. It is a great loss to our family as she has raised her children and grandchildren with such tender love and hard work. Though her life was harsh and difficult at times, especially during the war, she was never short of the most essential and precious thing in life - a family well bonded in love.

You may not remember her face because your were too young, only 7 moths old, when you met her last Christmas in Hong Kong, but you can look at the photographs and see how happy she was to have such a lovely great granddaughter. I regret that she did not have another chance to spend more time with you. She would enjoy it very much, as she did when your daddy and uncles were young.

Although we all feel the pain of her departure, we still wish to give thanks to God for giving her almost everything she needed to have an abundant life. She enjoyed reasonably good health until a few months ago, and it was a true blessing from above. We are blessed too, because we have the assurance that she is now resting peacefully in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. She seems to be far away, but yet still very near and close to our hearts.

How I wish to express more of my love, respect and fond memories of her, but right now I am stuck with words as my heart is too heavy. I promise to tell you more about this wonderful lady when you grow up.

Surely she will be missed in our family for a long, long time. 

Love always,
Grandpa

Your First Birthday

My Dearest Olivia,

Happy Birthday! We are so happy to be gathering in Toronto for this great family reunion on your first birthday.

Baby's first birthday is a special occasion, particularly to the parents, as it marks the first anniversary of his/her arrival to the family. It is even more so if the baby is the eldest child. The arrival of the first born usually changes the lifestyle of the parents. Livi, do you know ever since you were born last year your Mom and Dad's life have been centered around you? They spent a lot of time taking care of you and making all sorts of plans to ensure that you'll live comfortably and have a good education. Please remember that they were doing all these on top of their other duties and commitments in work and church which left them with little time to rest, but they were always in good spirits because they love you.

To an elderly person like me, my birthday still remains a memorable occasion. I consider it a reminder of the number of years I have been living in God's grace, and count my blessings as the years add up. So whenever you celebrate your birthday happily with family and friends, don't forget to give thanks to God who hold our days in His hands. Parties and gifts will bring you temporary pleasure only, the knowledge and assurance that God hold your life and future will give you perpetual peace of mind and joyful days.

Happy Birthday, the first of many more to come!

Love,
Grandpa

East and West

My Dearest Olivia,

We missed you in your first celebration of Chinese New Year, the year of the Ox. Your parents sent us your cute image above, dressed in traditional Chinese costume and holding up a red packet. We couldn't help posting it as wallpaper on our computers.

Unlike Christmas which is widely celebrated in Canada by people of different religions and ethnic backgrounds, Chinese New Year is only celebrated amongst the Chinese community. Even with the continuous growth of the Chinese population in Toronto, I think it would remain that way for a long time. Canada is a very special nation. Though she has her Native Indian and British historic roots, she now examplifies as a great nation in which people from different parts of the world are living in relative peace and harmony. We may be different in appearance and cultural habits, but we share and value many things in common. I am sure you must have already experienced this in school. Regardless of the color of their skin and ethnic background, you play and make friends with them. People of all nations are creations and children of God. If our Heavenly Father loves us all, why should we discriminate against each other?

However, as you grow up you may suddenly realize one day that you are of Chinese origin, you are different from people around you and you are a "minority". While I am writing this letter I cannot foretell how you would feel then. The only advice I can give you is this. Do not be afraid of being a "minority", stand up and be proud of who you are. You were chosen by God to be born in a Chinese family, and He may (or may not) have a purpose for that. Do you remember the story of Moses? He was born to a Hebrew family but grew up in the Egyptian palace. God had a purpose for him - to lead the Hebrew people out from captivity in Egypt. Moses was a noble in Egypt but he was proud of his Hebrew identity.

My dear Olivia, sometimes being a "minority" is not of an ethnical but ethical nature. When you face such a situation, please remember that your grandpa's advice is still the same - stand up and stand firm. Be courageous, uphold your principles and justice. You may find yourself standing there alone, but rest assured that God is on your side.

Canada is usually considered a western country while China, eastern. So here East meets West, and East mixes with West. Sometimes I wonder why we differentiate between East and West. Isn't the globe round and China is west of Canada as well? You continuously fly westward from Toronto to Hong Kong, right?

Take a look at your lovely red Chinese costume again. In the East red is traditionally the color of happiness, prosperity and passion. May you live a life full of happiness, prosperity and passion, in Canada where East blends well with West, or in wherever you may be.

Love always,
Grandpa