Dear Father,

A letter I wrote to my father on my way to see him in the hospital today (now translated to English, of course..) I have so many things to tell him, but the words just don't come out when I am with him~


Dear Father,

The Americans have a very intuitive saying~ The Crossroads of Life ~
A crossroad is the meeting point where many roads meet; we don't know beforehand which is the road to be taken -which road will lead us to our destination. However, with faith in God and courage, we will set out on the road that is meant for us, that we will do our best come what may. That is meaning to say we often find our greatest courage to help us face our toughest moments.

Father, you know that I cannot say these things to you, therefore, I am expressing my feelings in this letter and hope that you may find some comfort and understand how I feel.

I believe that before this medical concern with your heart, you have arrived at many crossroads in your life on this earth. And father, every time you have succeeded and defied the odds.

The first time I have ever written to you was in 1998, when the Tischmans tried to harass you in order to purchase the building where we have lived and worked for years. Father, that was another crossroad that you faced with determination and pride, and you are still there happily nine years later.

This sickness is nothing but another challenge. If you have the will and the strength to face it head on, your quality of life will be better and healthier than before. A few days ago, I brought the baby in to see you. She was scared and shied away from you; she doesn't know better because she is so young. I pray that you will get better so that my children can continue to get to know you and understand what kind of person you are and how you have lived; to understand that you are truly one of the most important persons in their lives.

I have told my children so many stories about your adventures. I have written many accounts of your life so that my children will have record of their grandfather when they grow up. We just pray and hope that you will once again conquer this crossroad that you are facing and that my children can hear the many wonderful stories about their grandfather directly from yourself.

Most respectful,

Your daughter


My head was dizzy as I struggled with my poor Vietnamese to get the letter done during the drive in from Westport. By the time my husband found a metered parking space, I was able to stuff the three pages of welled-up emotions into an envelope which I addressed simply "to Father."

Upstairs, on the 14th floor, where it is more private, I gave the letter to my brother to read to my father later. My father had just had a cardiac cathetherization (where a thin tube is inserted into an artery or vein in the arm or leg. From there it can be advanced into the chambers of the heart or into the coronary arteries)done and was feeling weak. My two-year old daughter craddled her head on my husband's shoulder as I stood over my father (once so strong, the grand patriarch of the amazing family that he has amassed) He is cold and shivering, his eyebrows fuzzy and needed tending to. I asked him how he was feeling and he said he was feeling okay; he should be going home soon. Everyone in the room at the time has already been privy to the result of my father's test but could not bring it upon themselves to tell him...knowing that he would definitely go into a panic mode. Moments later, we all parted like the Red Sea for the cardiologist to come in to deliver the news to my father that the results of his test showed that he must undergo a triple bypass open heart surgery.