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Family and Love

Life is all about family and love.

July 20, 1969, this day in history
Astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on moon, 240,000 miles
From Earth, a billion people
Listening at home:
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

This same day near midnight
A small town in Taiwan island, a baby
Was born.  I was born!
This clinic nurse in the lobby
Told my grandmother:  “It’s a girl.”
Disappointing granny then
Turned around and went on home:  without hesitation.
    Everyone wished I
Was a boy!  
            Life is all about family and love.

Introspective, peacemaker, stammering, am I so.
My order sister
Too, born as a special child.  She
Blames my mother granting me a prettier face. She
Demands everyone rewarding her undivided attention.  I
Pretended permitting her full control over me – until, I
Ceased pretending!
A blessing or a curse, am I not.
Lack of nurturing,
false, no one – mom and dad did their very best.
Celebrate.  I am the pretty one.
            Life is all about family and love.

Grounded, stubborn, fearless, am I so.
Sunrise; sundown; circle of seasons,
presenting the most powerful version of me – fiercely, am I not.
Schooling, work, duty, responsibility, I am so.
Tearful five years of family revolution – a summon
From entropy, chaos!   Three people
again one – the disgraceful one as I
was named!
Shocking, awakening, baffling, agonizing,
             Life is all about family and love.

Eccentric, curious creature, solitude endeavor, am I so.
A grateful heart roaring
Abundant resources, reaching
Extraordinary heights, a lifetime student, am I not.
Millions of mistakes.  Countless mis-turns.
Knowledge applied become wisdom.
Walking this lonely road missing
A mentor.   Not a road less traveled, but
A road worth travels.
              Life is all about family and love.

Ecstatic,  untethered,  blissed soul, am I so.
My father – a giver, a protector,
a provider – kindest man on earth.
Along the way, without permission, his little girl makes him proud.
Truly my father’s daughter.  I am so!
Redeem mother’s homemade
Cooking once more.  That’s one
Small step for the self-chained mother, one giant leap
For a tranquil daughter.
              Life is all about family and love -- forgivingly.

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