FoleyFunctional

It is difficult not to think about death when a family member of yours passes away. I will try not to dwell on the negative aspects of what has happened.

I remember a saying, that the point in life is not to live the longest, but to live the most.

My aunt was a mathematics teacher. When my brother skipped from the 6th grade, to the 8th grade he needed help with his math. My parents asked my aunt to tutor him. Eventually, my brother scored a perfect on his SATs in mathematics. My aunt leaves behind her husband, two daughters, and four grandchildren. After she retired several years ago, her life was dedicated to her grand children.

Several years ago, my dad told me he enjoyed talking to my aunt, and asked if I knew why. I replied, because she’s always smiling. I was young at the time, and found that my aunt was truly indeed always smiling. But no, my dad told me, my aunt is a smart, logical and well read person and everything she says has meaning and makes sense.

I learned from the eulogy, that my aunt initially never completed middle school. After finishing elementary school she was needed to help in the family business in tailoring. After several years of business growth, plus money from my 1st uncle from America, she pleaded to go back to school to finish her education. At this point she was suppose to enter high school, but has fallen behind. She received tutoring and passed all the exams to get into high school. Eventually, she chose the career as a teacher and first taught in the villages. After teaching in elementary school in the villages she came back to Guangzhou, and taught high school mathematics, at, I believe the 34th High School in Guangzhou. I learned from a former student of hers (from the class of 1979) that my aunt had taught at the school for 24 years.

My aunt still kept in touch with several of her students. One of them is now a doctor in San Francisco and actually visited a few times, once, right before my aunt passed away. I was moved by the fact that they still kept in touch, and how much respected her students had for her.

The average life expectancy after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis is 3-6 months. She gave the pancreatic cancer its run for its money, battling it for about 1 year and 4 months. R.I.P.

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