July 2, 2018
Dear Gung-Gung,
It breaks my heart that I never told you how important, influential, and inspirational you are to me. But, I guess even if we were both back in Lincoln, we wouldn’t bring up the topic anyway. And, I guess you know that you are inspirational—you had enough of a life to write an autobiography—and a page-turner at that!
I wish I had come to say goodbye to you and to Lau Lau. I wish I had played you back faster on Words with Friends, I wish I hadn’t kept pressing Remind me tomorrow when my 'call gg’ reminder popped up. But enough about wishes. I know you understand completely.
Gung Gung, you were the roots from which our family tree grew and flourished. Every one of us: children, grandchildren, cousins, in-laws, know we owe everything to you and your siblings—9 of you in total! As the last one left it must have been lonely.
These photos say it all. You and Lau Lau gave us a center around which to base family summers, fabulous dinners, and joyful, warm holidays. I was so lucky to grow up across the driveway from you–it seems cruel that I only really knew you from age 80+, and by the time I was old enough to be in awe of you and your accomplishments, you were already 95. It should be the opposite: you getting younger while I get older! I know you don’t believe in this sort of thing, but I hope you’re watching over all of us while we continue to grow up and create something of our own.
All my memories of you are recent, not when you were entrepreneurial and grand, just helping my dad with projects, talking with friends on the phone, heading to the Apple store for the newest gadget. Pouring out pistachios into the paper bowls you always used, eating them and silently pushing them towards me in offering. Doing laps around the living room, counting your laps by moving one coin from a full stack to an empty space until the positions had switched. Buying a premium exercise bike at age 98. Eating well past the rest of us at dinner and then moving to the study for a nap on the couch. You telling us non-Chinese speakers 10 years late that ‘grandfather’ is actually spelled Gung-Gung, not Kung-Kung.
It’s crazy, I’ve never beat you at anything: tennis (EVEN WHEN YOU WERE 92 AND I WAS 16), Scrabble, Words with Friends, university prestige… I guess, yes, I did beat you at Wii tennis once, but that is only because it’s just my generation. And to this day, I think you will know more about the iPhone than I will ever.
I can only hope that I will be as generous, fair, loving, wise, and lively as you were your entire life. And I hope that I will create something as amazing as you did. But I know that you’ll be proud of me either way. I hope you’re resting in peace, I guess 100 years will do that for you. Love you, GG+LL.
Your granddaughter,
Katie