繁影盈園香不斷，迎風摇曳花枝。
舊庭夏暮日遲遲。
當年折枝處，魂夢總相思。

素履塵間猶可記，回眸只是當時。
芳心不語凝煙絲。
紫英飄盡後，情在更堪癡。

今天是逝世兩週年，我親自誦經為美玲祈福，誦讀的是《心經》和《法華經．觀世音菩薩普門品》。當我誦到「觀音偈」中的句子──「瓶中甘露常時灑，手内楊枝不計秋。千處祈求千處現，苦海常作度人舟」──眼前彷彿浮現美玲昔日救急救難、視病猶親的身影，一時平靜的心情又被激動喚起。我越誦越急，往事音容一幕幕掠過眼前，彷彿她趕回來與我們相會，共同在此。而她過往的言行舉止，正如普門品所述：「真觀清淨觀，廣大智慧觀，悲觀及慈觀，常願常膽仰」，令人心生孺慕之情，低迴不已。

誦經完畢後，我隨即朗讀了自己擬寫的中英文追悼文如下：

親愛的美玲：

今天，我們都很想念妳，滿懷著感恩的心情，齊聚在這裡，為了表達對妳的追思與紀念。

妳是一位賢妻、良母、好婆婆、慈祥的外婆，一位盡職盡責的護士，更是一個溫暖的人生伴侶、真誠的生命導師。妳的一生只有短短的六十五年，但是妳用行動寫下了一本厚重而溫暖的人生之書。這本書的精髓，是犧牲奉獻、承擔重任與關愛付出的縮影。我們常常去翻閱它、溫習它；妳的精神，早已融入了我們的生命，妳的勤儉持家、堅毅果敢、慈愛助人的美德，將一代一代的傳承下去。

這些日子以來，我努力的學習獨立自主。沒有妳的陪伴，我必須走出以前的舒適圈，處理裡裡外外、大大小小的瑣事。起初的確很辛苦，也很沮喪。直到有一天，我突然想到：當遇見困難時，為什麼不問自己──「如果我是美玲，我會怎麼做？」從這個角度去思考，一切便清晰多了。這才讓我驚覺，妳當年做事總是能「化繁為簡、抓大放小」，而且一旦決定，就往前走，絕不回頭。感謝妳仍在冥冥中與我同行，讓我學會理解妳的處世智慧，也讓我在追隨妳的足跡時，更加深切地懷念妳。

年初，洛杉磯發生了幾起山林野火，燒毀了數千棟房屋。感謝妳在天上的保佑，我們的房產安然無恙，房客們也平安無事，且非常合作，共體時艱，讓我放下心中的顧慮。除了在 LA 和台灣兩地往返之外，我也常到女兒家小住一陣子。每當我出遠門，左鄰右舍都非常熱心，幫忙照看我們的房子，「看頭看尾」，防範任何不測之事。

平時在家，我注重飲食清淡健康，也養成了固定在跑步機上運動的習慣，所以今年的健康檢查結果大致正常。只是 A1C 仍在 6.0 徘徊，稍微偏高，還需要繼續努力調整。我也決定趁著身體還算健康的時候，多安排自由行，訓練自己獨立規劃行程，去探索更廣闊的世界。上個禮拜我剛從中西部旅行回來，去了丹佛、還有我們當年想一起去的總統山（Mount Rushmore）和美國商城（Mall of America）。這趟旅程收穫豐富，也讓我對自己更有信心。

兒子和媳婦工作都很努力，盡量存錢。他們和毛小孩 Mavin 一家三口，和樂融融，日子過得平順安穩，還常找我一起吃飯。妳在天之靈若有感知，一定也會覺得欣慰。他們計畫在十月底到韓國、台灣和日本旅行，願妳保佑他們一路平安，快樂滿載而歸。

今年七月，我和兒子、女兒一起招待從台南來的三位小姪孫。我和兒子陪伴他們在 LA 度過第一個禮拜，接著由女兒帶他們到波特蘭參加第二個禮拜的夏令營。結果孩子們玩得既開心又充實，我們雖然有些疲累，但也覺得十分欣慰。看著他們的笑容，更讓我想起妳在世時的點點滴滴，格外令人懷念。

外孫升上七年級了，現在長得很快，身高幾乎趕上他爸爸。他長笛吹得很好，籃球也打得不錯，學校功課常常獲獎，可說多才多藝。外孫女也五年級了，年初已經拿到跆拳道黑帶，她非常喜歡這項運動，希望她繼續努力。她在學校的表現同樣優異，英文與數學均衡發展，更難得的是人緣極佳，社交能力可說是一流。兩個孩子表現得這麼出色，妳生前那樣疼愛他們，如今若能看見，一定會感到無比驕傲。

親愛的妻子，親愛的媽媽，親愛的外婆，謝謝妳一生為這個家毎一個人付出的愛、付出的心血。雖然我們再也聽不見你的聲音，再也看不見你的身影，但我們知道，你仍在我們心裡，依然微笑，依然守護著我們。

願你在天國安息，自由自在、無病無痛，笑容依然燦爛。我們會帶著你的愛，繼續走下去，直到有一天，再次相見。

[英文版]

Dear Meilin:

Today, we all miss you dearly, and with hearts full of gratitude we gather here to express our remembrance and honor for you.

You were a virtuous wife, a loving mother, a kind mother-in-law, a gentle grandmother, a dedicated nurse, and above all, a warm life companion and a sincere mentor. Your life was only sixty-five short years, but through your actions you wrote a profound and warm book of life. The essence of this book is sacrifice, responsibility, and love. We often revisit and reflect on it; your spirit has already become part of our lives. Your diligence, perseverance, kindness, and generosity will be passed down from generation to generation.

In these past days, I have been striving to learn independence. Without your companionship, I have had to step out of my old comfort zone and take care of all the big and small matters, inside and out. At first, it was truly difficult and discouraging. Then one day, I suddenly thought: when I face difficulties, why not ask myself—“If I were Meiling, what would I do?” From this perspective, everything became much clearer. Only then did I realize that, in all you did, you always managed to “simplify the complex, focus on what truly mattered,” and once you made a decision, you moved forward without regret. I am grateful that you still walk with me in spirit, teaching me to understand your wisdom in dealing with life, and deepening my remembrance of you as I follow in your footsteps.

Earlier this year, several wildfires broke out in the Los Angeles area, destroying thousands of homes. Thanks to your blessings from above, our properties remained safe, and our tenants were unharmed. They were very cooperative and supportive during this challenging time, which eased my worries. Besides traveling between LA and Taiwan, I often stay at our daughter’s home for a while. Whenever I am away, our neighbors are always so kind, keeping a careful watch over the house from front to back and helping protect it from any potential mishaps.

At home, I focus on eating simple, healthy meals and keep a regular habit of exercising on the treadmill. As a result, my annual health checkup turned out mostly normal. The only issue is that my A1C is still wondering around 6.0, a bit on the high side, so I’ll need to keep working on it. I have also decided to make the most of my health by traveling more on my own, planning my own itineraries, and exploring the wider world. Just last week, I returned from a trip through the Midwest, where I visited Denver, Mount Rushmore—which we once dreamed of seeing together—and the Mall of America. The journey was deeply rewarding and gave me even more confidence in myself.

Our son and daughter-in-law are both working hard and saving diligently. Together with their furry child, Mavin, the three of them live happily and harmoniously, and everything has been going smoothly. They often invite me out for meals as well. If you could see this from above, I’m sure you would feel comforted and proud. At the end of October, they plan to travel to Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Please watch over them, bless them with safety and peace, and may they return home filled with joy.

This July, our son, daughter, and I hosted three young grandnephews who came from Tainan. My son and I looked after them during their first week in LA, and then our daughter took them to Portland for their second week at summer camp. The children had a wonderful and fulfilling time. Although we were a bit tired, we were also very gratified. Seeing their smiles brought back memories of you, making me cherish all the moments from when you were still with us even more.

Our grandson has now entered seventh grade and is growing quickly—he is almost as tall as his father. He plays the flute beautifully, is quite good at basketball, and often wins awards for his schoolwork. Truly, he is talented in many ways. Our granddaughter is in fifth grade and earned her black belt in Taekwondo earlier this year. She loves the sport dearly, and I hope she will continue to pursue it with dedication. She also performs excellently in school, with a balanced development in both English and math. What’s even more remarkable is her wonderful personality and outstanding social skills. With both children doing so well, knowing how dearly you loved them in life, I am sure you would be immensely proud of them now.

May you rest in peace in heaven, free and without pain, your smile as radiant as ever. We will carry your love with us as we continue forward, until the day we meet again.

接下來，女兒替外孫女念她寫給阿嬤的卡片，童言童語、妙語連連，讓人深深感受到她對阿嬤的懷念與愛意。