September 3, 2020
by James Tsuei
When I was little, my dad needed to go back to Taiwan for work. I was too young to remember much about that time, but after he passed, I found in his things a box of letters that he saved up over the years. I saw that, during the time he was in Taiwan in 1991, he wrote me, my sister, and my mom every week.
當我小的時候,父親需要回台灣工作。那時我還太小,對那段時間沒有太多的記憶。但在父親去世後,我在整理他的東西時發現了他積攢多年的一箱子信件。其中一些是1991年他在台灣的時候寫給我,姐姐和媽媽的信。
From reading his letters to me, I realized that it had been very difficult for him to leave his family in the United States, but that he needed to do so to provide for us. Seeing his many letters to us made me reflect on how much he loved us and sacrificed for us, something which I don't think I ever completely realized.
從他給我的信中可以看出,離開美國,遠離家人對父親來說是一件非常困難的事情,但為了家裡的生計他又不得不這樣做。看著這麼多的書信,讓我回想起了父親是多麼地愛我們,為我們犧牲了那麼多,這都是我過去沒有完全意識到的。
The last time I saw him alive in the hospital, my dad talked to me about finding the "treasure" in the house. At that point, both his memory and ability to speak were failing. He wasn't able to tell me what treasure it was, or even what generally he was talking about. At the time, I thought he was talking about his cameras and legal documents, and I promised him I'd find it and take care of it, and that he didn't need to worry.
最後一次見到父親是他住院的時候,他跟我談起要在家裡找到“寶藏”。那時,他的記憶力和說話能力都在下降。他無法告訴我這是什麼寶藏,甚至他也不是很清楚自己在說什麼。當時,我以為他在談論他的相機和法律文件,我向他保證,會找到並照顧好那些“寶藏”的,他不必為此擔心。
I am pretty sure now that the treasure he asked me to take care of were the letters that our family had written and the many photographs he had taken over the years of us. The treasure he was talking about were his memories of us that he had saved from over the years of his life.
我現在很確定,他要我照顧的寶藏是我們家人互通的信件以及他多年來為我們拍攝的許多照片。他談論的寶藏是他對我們的記憶,那是他一生中所珍藏的。
My memories of my dad are now my treasure, too.
我對父親的記憶現在也成了我的寶藏。
James Tsuei
當我小的時候,父親需要回台灣工作。那時我還太小,對那段時間沒有太多的記憶。但在父親去世後,我在整理他的東西時發現了他積攢多年的一箱子信件。其中一些是1991年他在台灣的時候寫給我,姐姐和媽媽的信。
From reading his letters to me, I realized that it had been very difficult for him to leave his family in the United States, but that he needed to do so to provide for us. Seeing his many letters to us made me reflect on how much he loved us and sacrificed for us, something which I don't think I ever completely realized.
從他給我的信中可以看出,離開美國,遠離家人對父親來說是一件非常困難的事情,但為了家裡的生計他又不得不這樣做。看著這麼多的書信,讓我回想起了父親是多麼地愛我們,為我們犧牲了那麼多,這都是我過去沒有完全意識到的。
The last time I saw him alive in the hospital, my dad talked to me about finding the "treasure" in the house. At that point, both his memory and ability to speak were failing. He wasn't able to tell me what treasure it was, or even what generally he was talking about. At the time, I thought he was talking about his cameras and legal documents, and I promised him I'd find it and take care of it, and that he didn't need to worry.
最後一次見到父親是他住院的時候,他跟我談起要在家裡找到“寶藏”。那時,他的記憶力和說話能力都在下降。他無法告訴我這是什麼寶藏,甚至他也不是很清楚自己在說什麼。當時,我以為他在談論他的相機和法律文件,我向他保證,會找到並照顧好那些“寶藏”的,他不必為此擔心。
I am pretty sure now that the treasure he asked me to take care of were the letters that our family had written and the many photographs he had taken over the years of us. The treasure he was talking about were his memories of us that he had saved from over the years of his life.
我現在很確定,他要我照顧的寶藏是我們家人互通的信件以及他多年來為我們拍攝的許多照片。他談論的寶藏是他對我們的記憶,那是他一生中所珍藏的。
My memories of my dad are now my treasure, too.
我對父親的記憶現在也成了我的寶藏。
James Tsuei