When I was young, it was said that everyone had his own fate.

年輕時就聽說，每個人有每個人的命。父母、子女、兄弟姐妹都各有不同的命運與福分。

In Australia, We had a very close Australian friend who studied her family tree and got in touch with some newly found cousins in USA several years ago. (I did not get the chance to ask her how she felt exactly about meeting her very new extended family.)

在澳洲，有一家很熟的白人朋友認真研究失聯的  family tree 。她不知第幾代之前的祖先從英國來的，結果她聯絡到當時住在美國的 cousins。她很興奮的到美國跟這個新發現的親戚見面。（我忘了問她見面後的感受。）

I also knew some people whose families fell apart for different kinds of reasons.

我也認識一些因為不同的原因而家庭破碎的朋友

For most families in Taiwan, they have been blessed to be able to grow up well, enjoy good retired life and have multiplied the family with happiness and good fortune. These people are lucky enough to be able to remember and try to study their older generation's physical journey from mainland to the island.

在台灣，隨著蔣介石來的人比起當年留在大陸的人幸運太多，沒有經過文革迫害，一點一滴的重建生活，讀書、就業、結婚、生育子女、香火得以交遞。他們的有些子女現在嘗試追朔瞭解當年父母過海的來龍去脈，這是人之常情。

With such blessing, isn't it time for them to be grateful and to re-connect the world in the mainland with love instead of staying self-pity forever for the rest of the life and next generations?

只是我覺得他們是幸運的，受益的，沒有道理為父母的離鄉背井傷感。

The life of people who stayed in China were much worse than those who came to Taiwan in 1949. Yes, these people may call themselves Taiwanese, but they do not have to cut themselves off from Chinese origin.

很多人在20年前回去探望後對家鄉的變化失望，所以死了心，接受根落台灣的事實。當年的渡海不叫移民，其實不也是移民的本質嗎？不管是移民進來或移民出去，移民的結果就像是過河的卒子，再回頭總是難。想想這個移民就像是普通的搬家，不就單純了嗎？

I am a Taiwanese with ancestors from mainland earlier than 1949.  We have no contact or knowledge about our previous generations what so ever, but I have felt very much at home in China since I came to China and got to know Chinese people only 4 years ago.

我是台灣人，祖父母或曾祖輩就移民的台灣人。我們對自己在對岸的遠親一無所知，無從聯繫。我來到中國不過4年，看到這裡的人卻可以馬上有同種同族同語言的親切感。

I have sympathy for Chinese people's life when they were headed by Mao but they do not complain.

中國人在這塊土地上曾經受過水深火熱、吃不飽、穿不暖，以及思想掏空的折磨。現在他們只有把過去的痛苦拋到腦後，沒有空去計較。去抱怨。

Most Taiwanese are in the position for Chinese to be envious, but I found it sad that they do not stop complaining and sighing.  I reckon that Taiwanese have been spoilt by the good life.

大部分台灣人60年來的生活命運足以讓大陸人妒羨，可是他們卻不斷的抱怨悲歎。我想，台灣人的命太好了，只是人在福中不知福。

Extended reading: 引用文章老宅入夢〈續篇〉

P.S.

I was waked up in the midnight by the call for the sudden death of my mother. So I arrived Taiwan tonight for the funeral arrangement.