Dear Ong Noi (Grandpa in Vietnamese),
I miss you dearly. There was so much that I did not get to tell you about. After you fell and had brain surgery, you were in a coma for three years. You recently got called to heaven, I’m sure god is taking good care of you. Grandma must have been anxious to see you. Ong, you were what brought our family together. Without you the connection is not the same. My heart wrenches every time that I remember the time when you told me “I don’t think I will be alive to see you graduate high school”. You are a strong man to have lived until 93. I just wanted to let you know that I met my boyfriend the same week that you fell, you never really got the chance to meet him but I assure you that he takes good care of me. I know you probably won’t approve that your youngest granddaughter has a boyfriend, but he is a good soul. I know how much you care about education. I may not have graduated high school with honors, but i’m trying my best in college for you. I am determined to graduate college with honors. And when I do it, I hope that you will see. You are not only my grandpa, but you are my role model as well. I look up to you, you performed so many good deeds in your life. You are the kindest person in this world, I aspire to be like you. Sometimes I think back and I wish that I had more time to bond with you. If only I could drive before you went into a coma. I wish I could have grandpa and granddaughter bonding days with you. I would take you out to eat your favorite foods and take over dad’s place in taking you for your haircuts. You would always give me the little things that you had, whether if it was cookies or twenty bucks. When you laugh it’s so cute because you don’t really have teeth and you just look like a little kid. I know you don’t find that funny as I do, but seeing you laugh made me laugh. You were so strong, you never wanted help with anything that you did. Even if something was difficult, you would always figure it out. You were so involved with the Vietnamese community and everyone knew you. You would always give to charities in Vietnam and when someone was in need of help, you would offer to help. I wish that I understood formal Vietnamese more, so that I could take the time to read the book that you wrote about your life. You are such a well rounded man, each and everyone of your sons, daughters, and grandchildren holds a special characteristic from you. You make us who we are. We love and miss you dearly.
Love,
Sophie
DearSophie 