January 17, 2023
January 17, 2023
By John
April 3, 2021
My dad was a selfless person to his core. He always put others first, whether they were family, friends, churchgoers, or coworkers. My dad had a smile that would light up a room, and a bright sense of humor to go with it. His jokes made people of all ages laugh with joy, and he always stayed positive, even to the last day. My dad was a fighter, a marathon runner, never a quitter. There are so many stories, moments, and memories he created with his presence and in his life, and I know he impacted so many people in a positive way.
I wanted to share a few of those stories with you today, as we come together to remember and mourn my dad.
One of my favorite childhood memories took place in kindergarten. When my dad would pick me up from school, he would bring me a sandwich. Sometimes he would pick my friend up too, and he would bring one for each of us, on a little paper plate. He brought us the sandwiches he knew we liked: for my friend a jelly sandwich, and for me a PBJ. The ingredients weren’t anything special--just regular white bread and store-bought spreads. But for some reason, they were the best tasting sandwiches I have ever had, even to this day. And I believe that it’s because of all the love my father put in, when he was making them.
Another memory took place when I was a little older. My dad went on many business trips for most of my childhood, but he always made sure to spend time with me so I didn’t feel lonely.And every time he got back from his trip, he would bring plenty of gifts for us: clothes, toys, and countless bags of white rabbit candies and other Chinese snacks. I never noticed it when I was younger, but looking back, I don’t remember him ever buying anything for himself. Everything he bought was for our family, but he was so frugal when buying things for himself. Some of the pants that he wore just weeks ago were in his wardrobe for over a decade.
My dad enjoyed showing his generous love through acts of service and gifts, but he also spent alot of quality time with me and left so many memories of our time together.
One memory occurred when I was in high school. At the time, I was interested in the colorful pool table balls we had at our house. I remember pushing them across the pool table like they were racing. Although my dad was busy with work, he started spending time with me at the pool table. We started building a small track for the balls to run on. I have never been good at engineering, so my dad did most of the work--he carefully selected wooden poles from Home Depot, and placed weights on them so they would bend. My dad would help me set everything up and film videos of the pool balls racing. It would take a very long time, but my dad always stayed patient and willing to help me. Even though I lost interest after that, the quality time I spent with my dad made every moment enjoyable, and I know he enjoyed spending time with me too. My dad was like that. As long as he was spending time with his family, he was happy no matter what we were doing.
I remember back when I was interested in track and field, my dad would film all of my races. I would complain to him because the videos he filmed were very shaky, and sometimes I wouldn’t even be in the frame. But later I realized that it was because he was cheering for me so hard that he couldn’t help it. He always supported me enthusiastically and passionately, yelling “Go go go! You can do it! Faster!”. Even after he was diagnosed with stage iv cancer, he still went to every meet that he could, and in my senior year of high school, helped me train. Even when it was cold and rainy, my dad would be there doing exercises with me. I remember several days where I had to run at night because I was so busy with school. I was scared but my dad was with me. I know he must have felt tired going out so late but when he knew it was to spend time with me, he instantly had the energy to do it. I still remember him meticulously measuring out distances on the track using red plastic cups filled with sand, so that I could time my splits correctly.
After I started distance running, my dad was even more eager to help, probably because as amarathon runner, he knew more about distance running. He found training plans, fixed myrunning form, and even gave me a Garmin running watch. It was bright green, and I wore itevery day during my run. I remember that watch very well, and we gave it back to my dad on the day he passed.
Looking back at these memories and stories of my dad, makes me realize just how much I took for granted at the time. I wish I could go back and give him the appreciation that he deserves. I wish I could go back and tell him that I love him, that I’m proud of him, and that he is the bravest, most hardworking, selfless person I know. I don’t know if there is food in heaven, but if there is, I know my dad will be waiting for me with a PBJ and a big smile, ready to share his joy and laughter with me.
我父親是一個全然無私的人。他總是把其他人擺在他前面,不管是親朋好友,還是教會弟兄姐妹,或是同事。父親樂天的性格,機智的幽默,總給周圍的人帶來歡樂。直到他生命的最後一天,他一直樂觀處事。父親是一位鬥士,馬拉松長跑者,永不放棄。他給我們留下了很多珍貴的回憶,他的言行對很多人產生積極的影響。
下面我跟大家一起來分享幾個故事來緬懷我的父親。
我最喜欢的童年记忆之一发生在幼儿园。当我父亲从学校接我时,他会给我一个三明治。有时,他也接我的朋友,他会给我们每个人一个,放在一个小纸盘上。他给我们带来了我们喜欢的三明治:给我朋友一个果冻三明治,给我一个花生酱果冻三明治。原料没什么特别的-只是普通的白面包和商店购买的涂抹酱。但是出于某种原因,這是我迄今为止吃过的最好的三明治。我相信这是因为父亲在做三明治时所付出的爱。
我父亲在我整个童年时期常常需要出差,但他盡量擠時間与我共度时光,讓我並不感到孤單。每次他出差回來,都会带给我们很多礼物:衣服,玩具,以及无数袋大白兔奶糖和其它中式小吃。我小时候从没注意到,但是回想起来,我不记得他曾经为自己买过什麼东西。他买的所有东西都是给我们家庭的。但是当他为自己买东西时,卻非常节俭。他几周前還在穿的一些裤子已经有十多年了。
我父亲樂於助人,也常通過小礼物来表达他的慷慨之爱,他也与我度过了很多美好的时光,并给我们留下了很多相聚一起的美好回忆。
记得上高中时,我对我们家五颜六色的台球很感兴趣。我将它们推过台球桌时,它们像在赛跑一样。尽管我父亲忙于工作,但他开始在台球游戏上陪伴我。我们开始为滚球建立一条小的轨道。我从来都不擅长工程设计,所以我父亲做了大部分工作-他从Home Depot精心挑选了木杆,并在其上放了重物来弯曲它们。我父亲会帮助我准备好一切,并为台球比赛拍摄视频。
這個大工程花费了很长时间,但是我父亲始终保持耐心并愿意帮助我。即使那之后我失去了兴趣,我和父亲一起度过的美好时光也让每一刻都很愉快,而且我知道他也喜欢和我在一起。我父亲就是那样,只要他和家人在一起,不管我们在做什么,他都会很高兴。
我记得当我对田径运动感兴趣时,我父亲会拍摄我所有的比赛。我会向他抱怨,因为他拍摄的视频不太美观,有时我甚至不在画面中。但是后来我意识到那是因为他为我加油太过努力的原因,他总是充满热情地支持我,大声喊道:“加油!你能行的!跑再快点!”。即使在被诊断出患有四期癌症之后,他仍然会尽一切可能参加我所有的比赛,并在我高中最后一年时帮助培训我。
即使在寒冷多雨的时候,我父亲也会在那里陪我一起锻炼身体。我记得有一段時間因為忙于上学,要晚上跑步,我有些怕,但是我父亲和我在一起。我知道他出门这么晚一定会觉得很累,但是当他知道要和我在一起时,他立刻就有精力去做。我仍然记得他用装满沙子的红色塑料杯仔细地测量了赛道上的距离,这样我就可以正确地计时分段跑的时间了。
开始长跑后,我父亲更渴望提供帮助,这可能是因为作为马拉松运动员,他对长跑了解更多。他找到了培训计划,修正了我的跑步方式,甚至给了我Garmin跑步手表。它是鲜绿色的,跑步时我每天都戴它。我记得那只表很好,我们在他过世的那一天将它还给了我父亲。
回首父亲的这些往事,使我意识到当时我把父亲默默的付出当成理所当然的。我希望我可以回到过去当面谢谢他。我希望我能回去告诉他我爱他,我为他感到骄傲,他是我认识的最勇敢,最努力,无私的人。我不知道天堂里是否有食物,但是如果有,我知道我父亲会带着PBJ和灿烂的笑容等着我,准备和我分享他的喜悦和笑声。
April 3, 2021
My dad was a selfless person to his core. He always put others first, whether they were family, friends, churchgoers, or coworkers. My dad had a smile that would light up a room, and a bright sense of humor to go with it. His jokes made people of all ages laugh with joy, and he always stayed positive, even to the last day. My dad was a fighter, a marathon runner, never a quitter. There are so many stories, moments, and memories he created with his presence and in his life, and I know he impacted so many people in a positive way.
I wanted to share a few of those stories with you today, as we come together to remember and mourn my dad.
One of my favorite childhood memories took place in kindergarten. When my dad would pick me up from school, he would bring me a sandwich. Sometimes he would pick my friend up too, and he would bring one for each of us, on a little paper plate. He brought us the sandwiches he knew we liked: for my friend a jelly sandwich, and for me a PBJ. The ingredients weren’t anything special--just regular white bread and store-bought spreads. But for some reason, they were the best tasting sandwiches I have ever had, even to this day. And I believe that it’s because of all the love my father put in, when he was making them.
Another memory took place when I was a little older. My dad went on many business trips for most of my childhood, but he always made sure to spend time with me so I didn’t feel lonely.And every time he got back from his trip, he would bring plenty of gifts for us: clothes, toys, and countless bags of white rabbit candies and other Chinese snacks. I never noticed it when I was younger, but looking back, I don’t remember him ever buying anything for himself. Everything he bought was for our family, but he was so frugal when buying things for himself. Some of the pants that he wore just weeks ago were in his wardrobe for over a decade.
My dad enjoyed showing his generous love through acts of service and gifts, but he also spent alot of quality time with me and left so many memories of our time together.
One memory occurred when I was in high school. At the time, I was interested in the colorful pool table balls we had at our house. I remember pushing them across the pool table like they were racing. Although my dad was busy with work, he started spending time with me at the pool table. We started building a small track for the balls to run on. I have never been good at engineering, so my dad did most of the work--he carefully selected wooden poles from Home Depot, and placed weights on them so they would bend. My dad would help me set everything up and film videos of the pool balls racing. It would take a very long time, but my dad always stayed patient and willing to help me. Even though I lost interest after that, the quality time I spent with my dad made every moment enjoyable, and I know he enjoyed spending time with me too. My dad was like that. As long as he was spending time with his family, he was happy no matter what we were doing.
I remember back when I was interested in track and field, my dad would film all of my races. I would complain to him because the videos he filmed were very shaky, and sometimes I wouldn’t even be in the frame. But later I realized that it was because he was cheering for me so hard that he couldn’t help it. He always supported me enthusiastically and passionately, yelling “Go go go! You can do it! Faster!”. Even after he was diagnosed with stage iv cancer, he still went to every meet that he could, and in my senior year of high school, helped me train. Even when it was cold and rainy, my dad would be there doing exercises with me. I remember several days where I had to run at night because I was so busy with school. I was scared but my dad was with me. I know he must have felt tired going out so late but when he knew it was to spend time with me, he instantly had the energy to do it. I still remember him meticulously measuring out distances on the track using red plastic cups filled with sand, so that I could time my splits correctly.
After I started distance running, my dad was even more eager to help, probably because as amarathon runner, he knew more about distance running. He found training plans, fixed myrunning form, and even gave me a Garmin running watch. It was bright green, and I wore itevery day during my run. I remember that watch very well, and we gave it back to my dad on the day he passed.
Looking back at these memories and stories of my dad, makes me realize just how much I took for granted at the time. I wish I could go back and give him the appreciation that he deserves. I wish I could go back and tell him that I love him, that I’m proud of him, and that he is the bravest, most hardworking, selfless person I know. I don’t know if there is food in heaven, but if there is, I know my dad will be waiting for me with a PBJ and a big smile, ready to share his joy and laughter with me.
我父親是一個全然無私的人。他總是把其他人擺在他前面,不管是親朋好友,還是教會弟兄姐妹,或是同事。父親樂天的性格,機智的幽默,總給周圍的人帶來歡樂。直到他生命的最後一天,他一直樂觀處事。父親是一位鬥士,馬拉松長跑者,永不放棄。他給我們留下了很多珍貴的回憶,他的言行對很多人產生積極的影響。
下面我跟大家一起來分享幾個故事來緬懷我的父親。
我最喜欢的童年记忆之一发生在幼儿园。当我父亲从学校接我时,他会给我一个三明治。有时,他也接我的朋友,他会给我们每个人一个,放在一个小纸盘上。他给我们带来了我们喜欢的三明治:给我朋友一个果冻三明治,给我一个花生酱果冻三明治。原料没什么特别的-只是普通的白面包和商店购买的涂抹酱。但是出于某种原因,這是我迄今为止吃过的最好的三明治。我相信这是因为父亲在做三明治时所付出的爱。
我父亲在我整个童年时期常常需要出差,但他盡量擠時間与我共度时光,讓我並不感到孤單。每次他出差回來,都会带给我们很多礼物:衣服,玩具,以及无数袋大白兔奶糖和其它中式小吃。我小时候从没注意到,但是回想起来,我不记得他曾经为自己买过什麼东西。他买的所有东西都是给我们家庭的。但是当他为自己买东西时,卻非常节俭。他几周前還在穿的一些裤子已经有十多年了。
我父亲樂於助人,也常通過小礼物来表达他的慷慨之爱,他也与我度过了很多美好的时光,并给我们留下了很多相聚一起的美好回忆。
记得上高中时,我对我们家五颜六色的台球很感兴趣。我将它们推过台球桌时,它们像在赛跑一样。尽管我父亲忙于工作,但他开始在台球游戏上陪伴我。我们开始为滚球建立一条小的轨道。我从来都不擅长工程设计,所以我父亲做了大部分工作-他从Home Depot精心挑选了木杆,并在其上放了重物来弯曲它们。我父亲会帮助我准备好一切,并为台球比赛拍摄视频。
這個大工程花费了很长时间,但是我父亲始终保持耐心并愿意帮助我。即使那之后我失去了兴趣,我和父亲一起度过的美好时光也让每一刻都很愉快,而且我知道他也喜欢和我在一起。我父亲就是那样,只要他和家人在一起,不管我们在做什么,他都会很高兴。
我记得当我对田径运动感兴趣时,我父亲会拍摄我所有的比赛。我会向他抱怨,因为他拍摄的视频不太美观,有时我甚至不在画面中。但是后来我意识到那是因为他为我加油太过努力的原因,他总是充满热情地支持我,大声喊道:“加油!你能行的!跑再快点!”。即使在被诊断出患有四期癌症之后,他仍然会尽一切可能参加我所有的比赛,并在我高中最后一年时帮助培训我。
即使在寒冷多雨的时候,我父亲也会在那里陪我一起锻炼身体。我记得有一段時間因為忙于上学,要晚上跑步,我有些怕,但是我父亲和我在一起。我知道他出门这么晚一定会觉得很累,但是当他知道要和我在一起时,他立刻就有精力去做。我仍然记得他用装满沙子的红色塑料杯仔细地测量了赛道上的距离,这样我就可以正确地计时分段跑的时间了。
开始长跑后,我父亲更渴望提供帮助,这可能是因为作为马拉松运动员,他对长跑了解更多。他找到了培训计划,修正了我的跑步方式,甚至给了我Garmin跑步手表。它是鲜绿色的,跑步时我每天都戴它。我记得那只表很好,我们在他过世的那一天将它还给了我父亲。
回首父亲的这些往事,使我意识到当时我把父亲默默的付出当成理所当然的。我希望我可以回到过去当面谢谢他。我希望我能回去告诉他我爱他,我为他感到骄傲,他是我认识的最勇敢,最努力,无私的人。我不知道天堂里是否有食物,但是如果有,我知道我父亲会带着PBJ和灿烂的笑容等着我,准备和我分享他的喜悦和笑声。