Ushering in the New Year

Other than going out to dinner, we had quite an uneventful New Years Eve. I guess that’s what happens when you have 2 kids who are 2 and under. I talked with Sie-low on the phone a couple of days ago and he said that New Years wasn’t his and his wife’s favorite holiday. They weren’t doing anything and probably just laying low. Knowing our kid situation, I know that New Year’s celebration wouldn’t be on our agenda either.

I remembered New Year’s celebration being a little bit of a bigger deal for mom than the rest of the traditional holidays. Maybe it was the excuse to “party” and stay up all night to play “cho die dee” with Chan Mok-ci and family, but I think it was probably more the reflection and thanksgiving part that would precede it.

Growing up, I remember there being “night watch” at the church on New Year’s Eve. The older, Chinese congregation would gather and sing old hymns like, “Another year is gone.” And “Count Your Many Blessings name them one by one.” I know that as a pre-teen (and maybe even as a teenager), I remember resenting having to go to these events instead of going to REAL parties. Looking back, I think a part of me is happy that I was dragged there. Other than Labor Day Retreats, these were the opportunities mom had to give God praise in public, and no matter what the year held, she would always have something positive to say in Thanking God for His provision, and thanking God for His children.

But I digress. As some of you know, I’m going to focus some energy this year in writing down some memories of my mom in the form of memoirs. I have heard positive feedback and supportive comments from some of you and even one suggestion to start a blog. So here it is. This blog will hopefully provide some fodder for my memoir writing. I might post some of my rough work here or ask for clarification on events in mom’s life. I would gladly welcome contributions of memories, photos, etc., that might fully depict who my mom was to each of us. So please visit this site when you have a memory of her you want to share or thought of her and want to read something about her. (On a technical side-note, I would love to be able to allow those who are interested to post but I’m not sure how to do that. I know you can all use the “comment” part to respond, but beyond that, I’m not sure what to do. If you have ideas, please let me know.)

I leave you with a “dramatic moment” (A New Year’s Eve memory of Mommy):

Lying prone on the cream-colored carpet, with a pillow propping up her head, she could barely lift her eyes. Her glasses are at the tip of her nose and she peers up, squinting to see her hand in the dimly lit room.

“Eh,” She lays down her cards, closes her eyes and snores.

Just a couple of feet in front of her, across the played cards on the floor was another middle age woman who was snoring.

No better way to usher in the New Year than with all-nighter rounds of Cho Die Dee.

Happy New Year, everyone!