My Maternal Grandfather

    My maternal grandfather was a hard-working, simple, helpful, diligent and thrifty person. He cared for all his relatives, including the neighbours and friends, but he sacrifices himself and cared less for himself.

    My grandfather's mother died when he was only three. His father died when he was eighteen. He went through unspeakable hardships and sufferings throughout his whole life. Yet he led the whole family to the prosperity. He raised five children -three daughters and two sons. He built houses and provided a good foundation for the sons. They are all good and filial. He could still earn money in his sixties and depended on himself when he was old. He gave less burden to his children.

    My paternal grandfather was very old and died when we were young. My father was still in the prime of life and had to raise three children who were too young with no father's help. My paternal grandfather was extremely worried about his youngest child “my father” before his death, but when he thought my father still had an able father-in-law who could continue to help my father, he died in peace. As my paternal grandfather predicted, my maternal grandfather did it. 

    From there, my grandfather means my maternal grandfather. My grandfather lived not far from us. He would come to help us when we were busy with the farm work. He never complain for the hard work and shout tired.  We often went to his house to play, to eat and to enjoy. His house was full of laughter and happiness. He was strict with us when we showed inappropriate behaviour of speaking, sitting or standing, He would criticized and corrected us. When we made good performance, he would praise us. Once I got a scholarship in my university, he always praised me. His encouragement is a great motivation to me. During the important festivals, we had family reunions, got together and enjoyed a big dinner. My grandmother cooked delicious food. At that time, I always heard from my grandfather that "Is the food enough? Eat more…" When my grandfather was younger, his voice was big. But as he got older, his voice was weaker. Later, he seldom spoke. He was too old to worry too much and he knew it is the young men's world. He didn't want to be a chatterbox before us. He always said. " I am old. I am useless. If I am nagging, you will not like it." Teach the youngers orally, they might not listen to him. But things and experience could do.

    It was a hard time when he was older and older. He liked cigarettes when he was young. So there were some problems with his lung. Suffered from the disease, he had difficulty in breathing. He breathed with the help of the breathing machine in his last time. As long as I saw the pain, my heart was broken. He died in peace. But his spirits never die. He always lives in our heart.

    From March in this year, the policy of cremation was implemented. It was normal that a man in eighties can't accept such a policy. Whether it is a matter of superstition or not, my older uncle died less than one hundred days after my grandfather's death. We didn't go out of the pain of my grandfather's death, and it doubled our pain. He was really a good man. My grandmother suffered from tremendous trauma, so did my mother, my aunts, my older uncle's wife and his sons as well as my younger uncle.

    I hope all of my relatives are safe and sound from now on. Cherish our relatives! Cherish our life! May it be.