Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Michelle!!

Here is a 30-second clip covering your journey for the past 30 years - enjoy it!! 

 

https://www.facebook.com/1604045045/videos/10216995555353456/

Thank you, Chelle, for being such a curious, creative, bright and (at times) challenging little soul in our lives; thank you for taking us with you on this unforgettable journey; and thank you for your unwavering trust in us over the years.  I have learned so much from this incredible experience, and I cherish it every day.  

I remember the days when you tried to test my knowledge by asking me to name the nine planets in backward order in English; I remember the days when you tried to prove your love for me by telling me that you “wuv” me to the moon and back;  I am still finding your little notes, booklets, drawings, poems and stories everywhere in our house; I have collected every issue of The Nutmeg Times that you published; and I am keeping all the announcements and schedules of the English Class you offered to me and Dad...

I don't know about other kids, but it did take a village to raise you -- and you've made us very proud.

Cherish life, Chelle, with love and passion!  Cherish the opportunities you have to save lives.  Be the BEST doctor you can be and bring hope, comfort and peace to your patients. 

Love,

Mom

16 years of history: 1996 to 2011

Yes, I have been a good citizen, staying home and keeping my head down - to reconstruct a piece of history!

It all started with my continued effort to de-clutter. My goal was to throw away "something - or - anything" every week. When I found a whole box of weekly calendar books of mine from 1996-2011 (missing 2007 for unknown reasons), my initial reaction was - "Great, I can finally throw away this big box of heavy books."  Then, a soft voice: "Let me take a look before throwing them away..." and that's when the de-cluttering took an unexpected turn.

I flipped through less than 10 pages of the 2001 book and told myself right away: "Wow, I can't throw these away!"

What followed was several weeks of intense work of digitizing the 16-year unforgettable journey.  I stopped using calendar books when I started my most recent job in January 2012.  Why? I don't know.  Maybe I've finally come to the realization that there are more important things in life than a job!

Looking through these 780 pages felt like traveling back in time - when I took notes of every detail of my projects so diligently; when I spent so much time traveling for work; when the companies were so chaotic that I couldn't recognize the 2 names of my bosses on the page; when my little Michelle would remind me of her existence by periodically inserting her crooked handwriting in my books... It was truly a bumpy journey - filled with long nights, working holidays, and endless "change" and "unknown..."

Then it was the day when we sent Michelle to grade school, to junior high, to high school, and finally, to college in Boston on 8/22/2008; the spring break when we went to Key West; the summer break when we went to Alaska; the winter break when we went to Mexico; the spring breaks and winter breaks when we went to China to see grandma and grandpa...           

Traveling back in time is a profound experience.  You'd have a chance to look back on life with different and/or better perspectives; You'd have a holistic view on the entire journey, to understand the things that you were too young to understand in the past; You'd finally have time to reflect and absorb... And more importantly, you'd have a chance to ask yourself again: "what's the most important thing in my life?"  With that, hopefully, you'd be able to live forward with a better sense of awareness and clarity. 

Now, what about the de-cluttering???  Do I have the courage to truly LET GO of these books???  

My Dear Little Naper

Well, I said final good-bye to my dear little Naper at 6:17pm tonight.  He is out in the world on his own now.  Hope someone will love him the way I did...

Nothing more needs to be said.  Read the emails below, you'd understand how much little Naper meant to me over the years.

By the way, he went to Boston for 5 years (May 2014 to June 2019), came back last June.  I just kept him at home... for no reason...  And today, he left me for good!

Pictures below were taken in May 2014 when he was 11 years old.

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>

To: "tang_pei@yahoo.com" <tang_pei@yahoo.com>

Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2014, 7:50:52 PM CDT

Subject: Re: My Little Naper

After 18 hours and 999.7 miles, my little Naper finally arrived in Boston today at 12:30 pm, safe and sound. 

As some of you may already know, he was once again a real little trooper during the 18 long hours from Naperville to Boston.  It's been a sentimental trip where I took pictures of him at every stop... I would take photos with my iPhone and sent them to my friends with the following narratives: 

My handsome little Naper in Indiana!

My lovely little Naper in Ohio, making his way to Boston! 

My beautiful little Naper in New York!

After 12 hours and 693 miles, my hard-working little Naper is going to spend the night at this peaceful place (Liverpool, NY)! 

My brave little Naper just came through dense fog and is resting at Little Falls, NY!

My loyal little Naper in MA.  Ironically, the car next to Naper is exactly the same as my new car, even has the same color! 

After 18 hours and 999.7 miles, my elegant little Naper finally arrived in Boston, safe and sound!

I asked myself "Do you really need to be so dramatic and sentimental about everything in life?"  That really got me think hard.  I don't believe I am trying to create drama.  But rather, because my life has been simplified to a point where literally everything I own has a deep purpose and special/meaningful use, I become very much attached to them -- to the very FEW things I have, and my little Naper is one of them!!! 

Now Naper is going to be with Michelle for the next few years.  I only said ONE simple thing to Michelle: "Love him the way I do!" 

---

From: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
To: Pei Tang <tang_pei@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 2014 9:56 PM
Subject: My Little Naper

Believe it or not, my little Naper is leaving me! 

For those of you who don't know, Naper is my lovely little white Lexus, and he has been with me since summer of 2003.  He got his cute name when I had to relocate to Reno for my job in 2004.  At the time, he was the only thing that brought warmth and familiarity to my life out in the desert...  So I name him Naper (abbreviation for Naperville)!

Over the past 11 years, we've traveled through rain and snow, and we've thoroughly enjoyed spring flowers and fall colors... It has truly been an incredible journey.  I love my little Naper deeply, and he always loves me back with his unwavering loyalty and reliability!!! 

Well, Naper is going to Boston next weekend, and he will become Michelle's loyal friend -- I hope!

I completed a big full service for him this morning making sure everything is in good condition for Michelle.  I also took a few pictures for him today just so I can remember how incredibly beautiful and elegant he is... 

Here, meet my lovely little Naper!!!

By the way, for the past 11 years, the 2 little bears have always been in the back seat with their seat-belts securely fastened.  Their excellent behavior once touched a police officer.  When the officer pulled me over for some stupid reasons, he looked at the bears and smiled... so, I got a verbal warning instead of a ticket -- thank goodness to my 2 little bears!!   

Larry Brilliant: TED Talks on Pandemic: 2020 and 2006

It's not that we lack brilliant minds in this country, the problem is we don't have the ability to listen, to comprehend and to act.

Larry Brilliant is an infectious disease expert who was deeply involved in ending smallpox for the world several decades earlier.  The following are the TED Talks he has given over the years.  The first one was from 2 weeks ago regarding Covid-19.  The second one was from 2006 where he laid out how to prevent a global pandemic (starting from 15-minute mark) - it was such a great aspiration! 

Larry Brilliant: A global pandemic calls for global solutions

Larry Brilliant: My wish: Help me stop pandemics

Listen to Your Life

Listen to your life.  See it for the fathomless mystery that it is.  In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis, all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.

-- Frederick Buechner  

True understanding is to see the events of life in this way: "You are here for my benefit, though rumor paints you otherwise."  And everything is turned to one's advantage when he greets a situation like this: "You are everything I was looking for."  Truly whatever arises in life is the right material to bring about your growth and the growth of those around you.  This, in a word, is art.  Everything contains some special purpose and a hidden blessing; what could be strange or arduous when all of life is here to greet you like an old and faithful friend?

-- Marcus Aurelius 


Wisdom

The endless cycle of idea and action,
Endless invention, endless experiment,
Brings knowledge of motion, but not of stillness;
Knowledge of speech, but not of silence;
Knowledge of words, and ignorance of the Word...

Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

-- T. S. Eliot

Shelter-in-Place

I try very hard to be productive under this historical Shelter-in-Place situation.  Yeah, I don't go out, and when I do, I wear a face mask...

On my endless journey of digitizing life.  Finally scanned 278 photos covering Michelle's life from 1990.6.26 through 1996.12.8 (birth through 6.5 years old).  Driven by my obsession for perfection, all scanned photos must be processed, as if they were taken with a digital camera.

Still have a long way to go, but I see progress!!

 

My Friend B

I got an email today and learned that my friend B passed away on Friday, 4/24/2020, from cancer.  She was the person who offered me the job more than 8 years ago...

It's coincident that I stumbled upon this old email earlier this evening.  It was from 3/22/2013 when B gave me my Year1 performance review.  How many times have I said "Life is short and unpredictable?"  Cherish it with your best ability.  Live the life you love, love the life you live!!

Pei has been a gift to our organization.  She is hardworking, technically rigorous, conscientious, and committed to meeting our organization's needs.  Pei's highly developed analytical and technical skills give me confident that the analyses she produces and/or oversees are reliable.  Pei is a seasoned executive who is thoughtful about how she handles staff.  She has high expectations and is clear about holding staff accountable for meeting them.  Pei has been thoughtful about managing around staff changes, and aggressive about recruiting replacements as well as external experts who can supplement our internal resources.

Pei is a pleasant person to work with.  Her intense commitment to excellence is balanced by a nice sense of humor.  And her dazzling photographs brighten the Inboxes of those who are fortunate to receive them.