Mother's Day without Mother

Translated by Wu Xinhui

Dear sons:

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and this will be the first Mother's Day in your life without your mother; for me, it is also the first Mother's Day without my wife in the past 52 years.

I deeply understand that the fact that "mother" is no longer here is a huge loss to the Guo family, and it also brings great pain to me. I suddenly realized that the people and things we regarded as treasures in the past, such as my loving mother/my dear wife, will be taken away sooner or later. And we are going through this process.

This process is also the experience of many families in the world, but I did not expect such a huge loss to happen in such a short period of time. It is extremely difficult to say goodbye to my partner of 52 years, but I have to let go because she is ready. The most gratifying thing is that when she exhaled her last breath and walked into eternal peace and tranquility, you were by her side.

▲Teacher Guo and Teacher Liu have a deep love.

Many years ago, my mother and I joked about "Who's going to go first?" It turns out mom won! She said she had to leave first because she couldn't bear to live without me. Knowing that she is like me, I can understand and appreciate her thoughts. God seemed to know my mother’s temperament and fulfilled her request, and really took her away quickly. In fact, three weeks before she died, she said that Jesus was going to send two angels to take her home.

I asked her: "How did you know?"

"God told me," she said.

Even two weeks before she left, she often "warned" me, "Maybe today!"

This day is April 24, 2023, and she peacefully entered God’s eternal glory. My emotions were tangled and complicated at the time. I feel relieved that she no longer has to fight her illness. I feel sad that she is gone and I am left alone. I feel happy that she has conquered death.

After my mother left, friends called and asked, "Are you okay?"

I'm okay, but it's not easy; I'm slowly coming to terms with the fact that my mom is gone. Although I still cried to God: "I miss Linda so much! Please give me grace and give me strength so that I can move on."

I am so grateful to live in this community of seniors. After his mother left, Kang Wei held a benefit performance here on May 1. Now, I can meet new friends every day. Last Sunday afternoon, I played pool with my neighbor. I hadn’t played pool in more than 30 years, and we had a wonderful afternoon. I started thinking and planning how to use my time and opportunities here.

Because of my faith in Christ, I mourn with eternal hope in my heart, and I am convinced that because of Jesus’ redemption on the cross, we can not only grow in the Lord, but also die and rise with Him. I am 82 years old. I don’t know how many years God can give me, but I clearly understand that my last journey will be the peak of my life that I look forward to most.

I rejoice and shout that, by God’s grace, I will conquer death and enter an eternity with Him, free from sorrow, death, and pain. In fact, God will wipe away our tears, as Revelation 21:4 says. Yes, I will continue to move forward and aim to complete the tasks entrusted to me by God during my lifetime. Although I am a little lonely, I am not lonely because God is walking with me, just like when my mother was still alive, He was with us every day.

Mom's greatest achievement in this life is to give birth to you, and to do her best to raise and cultivate you so that you are what you are today. You two and every member of the Guo family are the crown of her contribution to the world. May all glory be given to God.

I encourage every member of the Guo family and remind myself to pick up the mood, seize the time, and find the courage and ability to accomplish what God wants us to accomplish now and in the future.

Happy Mothers' Day!

I wish you peace.

Love you dad