In Memory of Ama

I never know her name, I just called her “Ama”, because I still don’t speak or read Chinese; but I was told that she appreciated me marrying her daughter, Mina. She thought Mina was intelligent, capable, hard working, but somewhat “disrespectful” to her husband and “opinionated”. Oops, that is when the “respect” was felt to be lacking. I tried to reassure her that I love Mina just the way she is. Maybe there is a bit of cultural differences here, at any rate, I hope that I can get the message through finally and she needed not to worry about us. Mina’s strength and kin-sense about people and things have been my right hand support in both my career and personal life. I thank God for putting us together, as a mate made in heaven.Ama, forever a principal. She loved the pomp and circumstance akin to my British heritage: family meetings and discussion, a whole fish cooked on a platter and a family class of Tai Chi with performance. She gave thanks before every meal. She was a Christian and started a church along with her husband. Gusto, Ama loved her life with gusto. She traveled widely seeing her friends and relatives throughout the world.We visited her in Jan/Feb 2008, when she towed the hospital monthly, and again the June/July 2008 when she and all her kids and me, Oliver and Cindy toured Taiwan and I got to push her in Mina’s portable wheelchair, which she used to go around with us to the sights of Tainan, Taipei, the Gorges, the mountain resorts and the Pacific Ocean coast.I am thankful for her salvation and it provides comfort knowing that the rest of us believers will see her sprint in heaven.

Keith, beloved son-in-law