My grandfather (ah gong, or 外公, but we call him gong gong), driven by winds of Communist change, arrived in Taiwan in the 1940s. He was a Fuzhou businessman, 26 at the time. He was a businessman, relatively wealthy and educated, and fled from the incoming Communists. He met my grandmother (ah ma, or 外媽 […]
On the days when the weather is right, I swear I can feel the tickle of young love: the kind that’s radiant, inviting, and easy to fall into. It’s simple and charming and as light as goosefeathers. On some odd days, I can vaguely remember the approach to the precipice of old love, woolen, worn […]
I smelled it coming last week, but it didn’t arrive until today. It smelled like autumn, it was warm rain, ticklish; it was musty with diamond dew and faded memories of running through these trees at our old church camp site, redwood trees tickling the clouds and the sweet fragrance of pine cones and the […]
The most difficult (and yet I suspect one of the most rewarding) part of this year’s internship has been to simply sit with somebody and listen. Yes, it’s been maddeningly difficult with Betty, the lady pictured above. Ask anybody; I’m a busy, hyper-scheduled guy. But to listen to someone is to really allow yourself to be […]
I remember, Feeling the weight of heartbreaking silence slip through my fingers, pooling at our feet. It is thicker than water. Discovering that love must be coaxed & wooed, and bearing the frustration of not knowing how. The pain of the real self left undiscovered; the throbbing, stinging disappointment you feel as a boy. The terror […]
A few cloudy Sundays ago I was watching Bruce play with Darren on the steps of our church. Screaming fire trucks were storming our street. Bruce ran down the steps, swept a wide-eyed Darren into his arms and ran down to watch the commotion fade down East 15th. Darren’s eyes were bright and mouth was agape. […]
I just came across this verse (1 Peter 4:8) and realized that God was rocking me with it. I mailed it to the other interns (text: “bah!”) because they know how hard it is for me to serve people I don’t get along with. But… like Justin mentioned the other day, what if we changed […]
