You hung in there for over a year, which is pretty impressive in itself. But I guess we all knew how this was going to end. I don’t know where you’ve been for the past 14 months, but I hope you’re finally at peace now.
I’m touched that you waited until I submitted my last assignment for the semester before you let go. And I’m glad we got a chance to see you one last time, even if it was over dad’s poorly held smartphone. Thank you for the good timing. You were always considerate that way, even to the very end.
Farewell, mom. I would say I’ll miss you, but I’ve already been doing that for the past 14 months now. I spent the morning revisiting childhood photos, and all I can say is thank you for taking such good care of me … of all of us.
4/9/74: Mom, dad, and one-week-old me
6/15/74
9/7/74
5/16/76
6/13/76: Six days before my dad leaves for the US
6/19/76: Seeing dad off to the US
6/19/76: Seeing dad off to the US
September 1976
9/28/76
6/5/77
9/13/77: My sister’s birthday … but not for another four years
1978: Aunt, cousin, great-grandmother, me, mom
2/6/78
5/10/79: I still remember this trip. Sadly, this place was destroyed by an earthquake decades later.
5/10/79: I still remember this trip. Sadly, this place was destroyed by an earthquake decades later.
5/10/79: I still remember this trip. Sadly, this place was destroyed by an earthquake decades later.
5/11/79: Me, my mom, and my cousin, on the scariest, sketchiest gondola ever
5/11/79: Where the gondola took us
7/14/79: The school where my mom taught and my grandfather was the principal
12/23/79: My grandparents (dad’s side) supervise my violin-playing
12/31/79: Moving to the US to join my dad. That’s my grandmother (dad’s side) to my right.
12/31/79: Moving to the US to join my dad
12/31/79: Moving to the US to join my dad. That’s my grandmother (mom’s side) behind me.
12/31/79: Moving to the US to join my dad
12/31/79: Moving to the US to join my dad
12/31/79: Obviously, this ended up being a life-changing event
1/2/80: First day in the US … Disneyland!
1/3/80: Universal Studios
2/1/1980: Michigan, where we lived for two years
July 1980: Toronto
July 1980: Toronto
July 1980: Niagara Falls
July 1980: Niagara Falls
October 1980: My mom’s first car, a Dodge Omni
5/19/81: Looking into Detroit from Canada
June 1981: Ford Museum
July 1981: My maternal grandparents visit, and we take them to Niagara Falls. My mom is super-pregnant here.
11/15/81: Judith (two months old here) joins the family
11/29/81: Fall in Michigan
11/29/81: Fall in Michigan
12/4/82
2/21/83: Marine World
July 1983: Our one-way road trip from Michigan to California
8/9/85: Visiting Window on China during our first visit back to Taiwan
8/16/85: Our first visit back to Taiwan
8/9/85: Our first visit back to Taiwan
8/9/85: Our first visit back to Taiwan
8/15/85: Our first visit back to Taiwan
9/13/85: This was Judith’s 4th birthday. I have no idea why my mom and I are so tired.
12/29/85
June 1986: Graduation from Eastshore Elementary School
To my mom, Elsa. January 23, 1948 – December 19, 2019.
Dennis Hong's Attic 
My most heartfelt condolences in you and your families loss. Losing a parent is so hard and having to wait as long as you have I can’t even imagine. Hugs to you.
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Thank you. I guess in a way, it’s good that we can start to heal and move on now.
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So hard to have it so final. Beautiful pics. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you go through the next phases of the grieving process.
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Thank you. Yeah, we’ve been preparing ourselves for this for over a year now. And I appreciate you checking out the photos. They were kinda nice to go back and dig through.
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I’m very sorry for your loss, but I’m sure she is in a better place. May you and your family find peace in your hearts. She is now resting in peace.
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Thank you. Yes, at least we know that she’s no longer suffering now.
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All the hugs in the world can’t make this better. However, I’m sending them your way anyway (and I won’t let them be awkward hugs either!). Thinking of you and praying for you in your time of loss.
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Oh, “standard” or awkward, I’ll take all the hugs either way. 🙂
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You were blessed to have had such a beautiful and lovely lady for your mother,
She is in your heart forever.
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I was, thank you.
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[…] it out was the hardest decision I ever had to make. Seeing my mom in a vegetative state … watching her die from 7,000 miles away, peering helplessly through my dad’s phone camera … those certainly weren’t easy […]
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