My Dad
My dad was a simple man. He valued an honest living, education,
and spending time with family. He appreciated the joy of a good meal. And enjoyed
the simple pleasures in life, like drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, soaking
up some sunshine outdoors, “Sie sie tiyan,” and reading the newspaper at home. He
didn’t care much about material goods. Instead, he preferred to live a peaceful
life uncluttered with drama.
Yet despite his preference for a simple life, he was
actually a trailblazer. He came to a foreign country by himself as a young man
and student, and forged the way for the rest of his family. He made a life for
himself. He survived a traumatic brain tumor in his forties, and later, prostate
cancer. He was tough and independent.
My parents divorced when I was 13. So many of my memories
with my dad are from my childhood. I remember watching MacGyver and Mutual of
Omaha nature documentaries on TV with him. Going to weekly potlucks at my grandparent’s
house. Buying Kit Kat bars, a rare and special
treat, at the Chinese movie theater. My daily ritual of running to the window
to wave goodbye to him when he left for work. But despite not spending as much
time with him as a teenager or adult, his influence on me has been indelible.
To this day, I am always 15 minutes early, because Dad
always said, “The early bird catches the worm.” He’s the one that taught me not
to rush, to “double check your work, and avoid careless errors,” and that slow
and steady wins the race. He taught me how to ride a bike, how to drive. He was
the person I turned to when I needed help with a physics question. My dad was a
germaphobe before COVID even existed. Apparently the genes run strong, because
I always wince and hold my breath, “Aiyaaa!” whenever someone near me sneezes.
I will always remember my freshman year in college. I was
in San Francisco on a date with this boy I liked. And I looked out the car window towards the
Sir Francis Drake Hotel, and literally saw my dad standing outside! Such a random coincidence that he happened to
be there for a business trip and that I happened to drive by, at the exact
moment he was standing there. I took that as a sign, because I later married
that boy.
My dad was fierce, stubborn, proud and sometimes difficult.
He was smart, meticulous, honest, had a biting sarcastic wit, but above all
else, he believed in family. My dad was
marvelously flawed and perfectly human. He was so many things… but to me, he
was just…Dad.
Maybe because he was so resilient, in my heart, I felt
like he would be around forever. It seems too soon to say good bye. However, I
do know this. My dad lived a full life. And his legacy lives on, because he
leaves behind a part of himself in every one of his children.
I miss you, Dad. May
you rest in peace.
