Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing,
And like enough thou know’st thy estimate:
The charter of thy worth gives thee releasing;
My bonds in thee are all determinate.
For how do I hold thee but by thy granting?
And for that riches where is my deserving?
The cause of this fair gift in me is wanting,
And so my patent back again is swerving.
Thyself thou gavest, thy own worth then not knowing,
Or me, to whom thou gavest it, else mistaking;
So thy great gift, upon misprision growing,
Comes home again, on better judgment making.
Thus have I had thee, as a dream doth flatter,
In sleep a king, but waking no such matter.
-William Shakespeare, Sonnet 87
My Nai Nai (grandma) passed away last week and my family asked me to speak at her funeral this coming Saturday. I’ve been struggling to translate my thoughts from English into Chinese. (Most of my relatives from my father’s family barely speak English.) But as I pondered over my memories, I realized that she was an incredibly sweet lady. She was extraordinarily patient and gentle. I don’t recall her ever raising her voice or becoming angry. And I think she had a jovial sense of humor. She loved to retell stories from our childhood and have a good laugh with us. All in Chinese, of course. She was suffering and so I am grateful she’s been released from pain and gone on to her next great adventure. Confucius would have considered her a virtuous lady, indeed.
she was indeed gentle. and i agree - her sense of humor was vibrant - she laughed easily especially while during her mahjong rounds. daddy reflects her well and we are so lucky to have had her in our life. i know you’ll be an a wonderful inspiration as you share your thoughts Sat - you’re the perfect grandchild to do the job.
xoxo
Salut!
Amen to what you said.
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts.