Remembering Mom [main photo of nainai] Today I welcome all of our friends to join my family in remembering our mother, and celebrating her extraordinary life. What an extraordinary life she lived.  [young photo of Nainai] Upon graduating from high school, Mom showed tremendous courage in deciding to travel thousands of miles away from home to attend an elite teacher’s college. Mom once told me that she believed education was the future of the nation and the only way to modernize and save China. So, she left her comfort zone and traveled thousands of miles through dangerous terrains, Japanese occupied territories, lawless lands, lands without any government, until she finally reached her destination: enrolling at National Hunan Normal University. There, for four years, Mom had to live the life of a student in exile because home was thousands of miles away. During winter and summer breaks, she and a few of her buddies who came from the same province stayed in their dormitory by themselves. You can imagine the hardship she went through, but she was always a great student who excelled academically. Four years later, she graduated with her degree, majoring in education, and she was ready to launch her teaching career. Yet again, she traveled hundreds of miles to China’s wartime capital of Chong Qing to reunite with her family. She found a teaching position at the National Borderlands School, which had a student body comprised of minority students from the borderland of China. So that’s the beginning of Mom’s teaching career, and right at this institute, she met the love of her life, my Dad.  [wedding photo] After a fairytale wedding, after China finally won World War II and beat Japan, Dad and Mom got married. That was the beginning of a 50-year beautiful marriage. They first went home to meet with the parents, and then, following my father’s career, they went to Taiwan. Father was an engineer working for the government, while Mom continued her teaching career by teaching education psychology at both a teacher’s college and girls high school. [older photo of gongong nainai, family photo] For the next thirty years, they raised 5 of us. Our home was always spotless. Gourmet food was always on the table. I miss those dishes very much. Mom was a great chef. She made it look easy to cook those gourmet foods, and yet, I have not been ab le to see something similar for the next 40-50 years. In any case, Mom and Dad raised 5 of us. They gave us a warm, loving home and eventually we all came to the States to pursue our American dreams. Mom and Dad eventually retired and came to the States to reunite with us. Their retirement life in the U.S. was peaceful, and family get-togethers always brought them plenty of joy. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all that. [old photos of grandkids with gongong/nainai] Dad and Mom always had their own way with their grandchildren. They have their own relationship with them. Unfortunately, Dad left us too soon in 1995. After that, Mom stayed in NY and took care of my brothers and sisters. We are so lucky to have had 25 more years with Mom.  [photos of traveling, for all families] We went on so many trips. We traveled all around the world-- Europe, Asia, Japan, Alaska-- Mom flew the helicopter with my kids to land on the glaciers. The kids always admired Grandma’s adventurous spirit. In the past 25 years, we had a great time. Unfortunately, all parties end eventually, one day. [99 bday everybody photo] Today, we are here to say goodbye. I asked my daughters, do they want to jointly say goodbye to Nainai. They told me they all have their own words that they want to share with Nainai individually. That shows how successful Mom was with the next generation. They all adore her. They all have such a close, intimate relationship with her.  I think Mom’s life has been an extraordinary one. Until the very end, her quality of life was still very good. Luckily, we had a big gathering celebrating her 100 year birthday and she handled herself so elegantly, so well. We will miss her forever.

可雄，秀嫦: 驚聞親家母老人家仙逝，知她不多，卻常聽聞她的長壽，健康和快樂.如今滿懷子女家人的孝和愛遠離，這是世上難得的福壽雙全人生。 春堂 雪蓉 同哀

親家母是一位很了不起的女性，她的一生除了相夫教子，兒女個個立業高就之外，一生奉獻教育界，作育英才無數。她有智慧，有毅力，為人樂觀，具有高度適應能力。我們對她十分尊敬。 猶記得她的九九華誕，眾子孫為她做壽，她那天晚上，儀態高雅，小孫女共舞，風度翩翩，羨煞年輕人，至今難忘。 晚輩 德勝 麗年 敬輓

可雄，秀嫦， 請節哀順變。今天沒有去紐約向親家母送行道別，實感抱歉。 今天早上看到了你們全家人對親家母依依不捨的告別及相互間的親情往來實在是感動萬千。場面溫馨動人讓我們對親家母尊貴的言行有更深一層的認識及感受。 我們會永懷不忘她老人家福慧雙修流芳百世也是劉家子孫後輩們的榮耀與福氣。 俊雄敬上