In Search of Kingdom Living

This past weekend, I flew back to Toronto to attend the funeral service of my Pao Pao (maternal grandma). She was the great matriarch of my extended family – with 8 children, 10 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

Despite the sad circumstances, it was great to see all the aunts, uncles, and cousins fly to Toronto to pay tribute to Pao Pao’s great life. Our family stands as a living, breathing testimony to the legacy she left behind. It was interesting to hear various members of my family share about their memories of my grandma. Many cited her great character and love of her family and friends. This was especially evident in her consistent cooking for all of us (to this day, my dad still criticizes my mom for not cooking as well as my grandma) and her knitting (she made many garments for the family and other people).

For myself, I remember two stories as recounted to me by my mom.

First, when I attended the funeral service, I noticed that in my pao pao’s casket was a small teddy bear. It evoked a vague memory from within me so I asked my mom about the context of that bear. Apparently when I was a kid, my pao pao used to take me and my brother to the local McDonald’s because it was one of our favourite places to eat. We would also get the small little toys that accompanied the meals. One time I got a small teddy bear, and pao pao asked if I would give it to her. I asked her why she would want it, to which she replied that she would take it with her to heaven. It seemed that I found this remark hilarious and laughingly gave it to my grandma who kept it in her knitting drawer until today. Upon reflection, I spent a lot of time in her house and her quiet presence has had a profound affect on my development as a person and as a follower of Christ.

My second story is about what my mom told me about Pao Pao’s generosity. When pao pao was much younger and taking care of her little children, the family didn’t have much money. It was a time of poverty in China, and many people were in need. One time, some people in the community were especially in need and asked pao pao for money. She didn’t have any, however, she did have a precious ring. So she asked these people to take her ring and pawn it for money. Then when they have enough money to support their needs, they should buy back the ring and give it back to her. My mom shared this story with me because pao pao had given me one of these rings as an inheritance and this was the attitude to which she had lived her life. I hope and pray that by my own thoughts and actions, by how I live my life, that I can honor her spirit of generosity and faithfulness.