Farewell, Uncle MIng

6/07/07

1973…
 
It was more than 30 years ago. So much time, so many memories between then 
and this moment. Yet, it seems only a translucent veil that divides us from 
those dusty yesterdays. And now, standing here, I realize the significance 
of the fateful times in the 70s…something I imagine only an over-the-hill 
47-year-old is want to ponder.
 
That year, our family of 6 immigrated to the land of freedom and 
opportunity. In this second life, many doors were opened by good people that 
enabled us to carry out a rewarding life in America. But the very first one 
was held by Uncle Ming, who welcomed us into his home with open arms.
 
Like an impressionable baby chick, the times spent in Landover, Maryland 
left an indelible mark on me. I reminisced even then that Uncle Ming was 
friendly, funny…and something of a macho dude! See, years before he came to 
the States, and on some visits to our home in Taiwan, he would horse around 
with us. I recall Uncle Ming rolling up the sleeves to reveal and flex his 
bulging biceps! I was a scrawny little kid then, and was completely in awe!
 
In ’73 the same friendly, funny Uncle greeted us at the airport just up the 
road from here. I was 12 then, and was most impressed by his shiny gold 
Dodge Dart! He then bought a brand new cream-colored Buick Century, and 
drove us kids around town, stoking my life long love affair with cars -- and 
especially, Buicks!
 
But there were no more playful muscle shows…maybe we just grew older; I 
didn’t know then as a youngster that Uncle Ming was already battling a new 
enemy that required a different kind of strength and courage. He refused to 
give in to the debilitating and elusive foe, but continued pursuing his 
profession and passion, and finding a special partner in life every bit his 
equal – and everything he needed. Together Aunt Su and Uncle Ming created a 
family, and raised three wonderful and accomplished children.
 
Looking back through a renewed focus, I see so much to admire about this 
special man, and so many life lessons to learn from him. It is only a soul 
forged in the crucible of adversity that burns hot enough, and bright 
enough, to radiate warmth and light for others, and itself transformed…no 
mere flesh and blood, but invisible strands of steel that rushes through his 
veins!
 
While losing certain physical freedom, Uncle Ming willed himself into a 
giant oak tree that towered over the field, a landmark for wayward souls, 
shelter for tired spirits and nourishment for those who hunger for wisdom. 
He is at once the fragile, ordinary human being, and the powerful embodiment 
of an alien sun! Behind the gentle, endearing frame stood a man who 
commanded respect.
 
Endlessly inventive, and incurably inquisitive, Uncle Ming is famous for 
his” WSOTD,” or “Wise Saying of the Day,” dispensing observations and 
anecdotes about life, art, philosophy, religion and politics that profoundly 
influenced and instilled in us new perspectives on being a more-aware and 
more-decent person.
 
Alas, the epic battle may have claimed the warrior’s body, but the man – 
spirit indefatigable – lives on, triumphant and freed finally from forty 
years of chains that bound. He was loved by all, but no one had the lock or 
key to this last gateway. After a lifetime of opening doors for others, this 
one he earned the right to unbolt, and walked through it proudly into the 
golden light, no doubt already exploring the grandeur of the heavenly 
domain, and sizing up his place in the company of deserving men, and the 
eternal God he had come to terms with.
 
Dear Aunt Su, Elliott, Susan and Emily, the missing never ceases, but the 
pain does subside. In breaking this earthly bondage he is made whole once 
more. And please know that he calls with each stirring of the heart and 
welling of tears, and is as close as the blues, and oranges, on a blossoming 
bird of paradise…
 
Thank you, Uncle Ming. I am all grown up now, but the kid in me will always 
treasure the spring in 1973, and the little things you did that changed our 
lives for the better – a sentiment, I am certain, many here and in far 
reaches share that, although different in details and circumstance, remains 
constant in a lovable man named Hsu Ming-Yen.