100 days

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Today marks 100 days since my father's passing.  We have carried out the Vietnamese and Buddhist traditions thus far to honor our father.

A parents love is one you can always count on. The feelings are so overwhelming and can completely take over---it's hard to put into words how it feels to lose a parent.  I am slowly gaining morsels of strength and peace over the past few months but it still pains me deeply that Josephine will grow up without her grandfather at her corner.  The best I can do is embody his spirit, love, kindness, and stories of his heroism in Josephine's upbringing.

On this day, I'd like to share excerpts of my eulogy speech I wrote for my father:

As I think of my father, a few special memories come to mind.  He had a few special ladies in his life but his first love and #1 lady was my grandmother, Ba Noi. He cherished and loved her with all his heart. She lived in Germany. We visited her every few years, and in between, we called her together Friday nights after he came home from working a graveyard shift. After we talked to Ba noi, my father would make us a bowl of noodles and he would let me stay up to to watch kung fu movies with him until 2am. This is one of my fondest childhood memories.

As young as I was 5 years old and into my teens, twenties, thirties, forties.... up until his very final days, he called me every single day. He would call and ask me "Con gai vui khong?" "Con gai vui la Bo vui".  So today, I answer my father for the last time:

Bo, I am happy.

I am happy that you are in heaven and resting in peace.

I am happy to be your one and only daddy's little girl.

I am happy because we are supported and loved by all our uncles, aunts and relatives because of the gratitude they hold for you.

I am happy that you were able to spend time and love your granddaughter Josephine.

I am happy Josephine was lucky to hold a true hero's hand.

We hope that we have made you proud and will continue to make you proud. To many, you are honored and remembered as a war hero. To me, you are my one and true hero.

I love you and miss you everyday.

Jackie




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