Tien Chiu

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Goodbye, Ma

We laid my mother to rest yesterday morning, in the beautiful blown-glass urn we had ordered for her. The phoenix rising up the side is a little difficult to make out clearly in the photo, as it’s made with transparent glass, but it has lovely feather-like colored streaks in the blown-glass body, and is just gorgeous. I’m glad we were able to honor her with something so beautiful.

Celia C. H. Chen, my mother, in her cemetery niche
My mother’s urn, in the niche

And here we are, saying goodbye:

Gathered to say goodbye to Celia C.H. Chen
The family, gathered to say goodbye.

And here is the front of her niche, which she shares with her parents/my grandparents:

Cemetery niche for Celia C.H. Chen
My mother’s headstone

A solemn moment, but a greatly comforting one as well: we have laid my mother to rest, and fulfilled her last wish.

Now I’m back in Maryland, packing up her things to prepare the apartment for sale. A process full of sadness, but also of fond memories of the time we spent together, good and bad.

Goodbye, Ma. I’ll love you forever.