My sister

Growing up, because of the age difference, I never really got along with my younger sister...

3 years ago tonight, I had a new perspective on her... how would you feel if on your birthday, instead of going out and celebrating, you had to stay in the ICU with someone you cared most, not knowing she only had seven more days to live....this was how my sister spent her birthday night when she turned 30...As it was during SAR's, the hospital would only allow one family member to accompany the patient(my late mother), my sister decided she would be there in case mom woke up or her condition improved...it was not an easy decision but she did not complain... throughout the night, every hour, she would give mom a massage on her hands and feet to make sure enough blood circulation...in the past 20 years, usually her birthday would fall on mother's day, so it would be me taking both my mom and sister out for dinner..they would tease me, saying I got off easy as I only needed to buy dinner once..

tonite, I had no one to take to nice restaurant..I came home early from work due to an all afternoon client's meeting in Oakville, I called my sister and apparently she had made plans with her friends..... If I were allowed to choose, I would rather buy them dinner every night....

"It's all over, we don't have to feel pain anymore, there is nothing that can hurt us as much from now on...." my sister said a week later..

(picture taken outside Asian Languages Library at UC Berkeley, a place where I used to spend my afternoon doing research)