My Dad

Since my dad passed away in January, I have kept retrieving from the back of my mind how he influenced the way I have lived in the past many years. He seldom talked to me anything formal about study, work or life, presumably not to my brother and sister either. In fact, I can't recall a single instance where he sat us down for a heartfelt conversation about any substantial life topics. But as I thought about what he did and made us do, I can almost conclude without a single doubt that I have all along been copying him. I can easily come up with a long list of things I have learned to do from watching him do, like peeling apples, frying eggs with a Chinese wok, stir-frying choy sum with beef, fixing a carton box, writing cheques with Chinese numeric characters, riding a push bike, calligraphy, .... and many useful skills! However, I probably never realized when I was young that he had imperceptibly bequeathed to me and my two siblings the way he treated people and his faith in God.

After he left, I found myself reflecting on the profound wisdom he had imparted to us. First, he was nice to people and his mantra was "When helping others, do not calculate!" I had witnessed how seriously he involved himself in voluntary works in Cheung Chau Life Saving Club, Auxiliary Medical Service, Chung Shak Hei Elderly Home, The Lady of Fatima Church, and Cheung Chau Rural Committee. However, it was during his funeral service that I learned of countless other acts of selflessness he had performed. While I have certainly not achieved the same magnitude of impact as he did, I have always strived to empathize with others and extend a helping hand whenever possible.

My father had an enormous amount of faith in God. I can never forget the way he reacted when I asked whether he was anxious about a pending open-heart surgery back in 1993, hoping to make him feel easier before the operation. I was speechless when I heard him say in less than a blink of an eye, "No! Nothing to be scared of? God is with me! (驚咩？有乜好驚？天主會同我一齊！)" He was actually very calm, quite unconcerned about any possible complication of the operation, and without a tiny bit of fear, and that moment I learnt the importance of having faith, and how faith helped overcome fear! Leave it all to God, and nothing needs to be worried about!

Now he has gone, but certainly not forgotten, especially his double package of life: be nice to people and have faith in God!

March 4, 2019