There will be no sea in heaven... But will there be seafood?
I have known Yuk Lin, or mami (which is what I started calling her 9 years ago) for about 18 years now and although she is technically my mother-in-law, I see her much more as a friend.
Over the years, we have shared many chats, laughs, cooking lessons and a couple of holidays. I will always cherish these memories because together, they paint a picture of a remarkable woman who came from very little, but used what she had to bring about a fullness in those around her.
I will miss her. I will miss learning cooking tips and recipes from her, I will miss the late-night chats about theology and life, I will miss playing the Strategy Game with her and miss her telling her husband off for winning. I will miss, but maybe a little less, her ability to push boundaries and other people's buttons.
Perhaps the thing I will miss the most are her food quests. I will miss her trying to find a good congee in Hong Kong and being disappointed every time, and trying to find a seafood buffet that was 'like that one in 2012'.
We never did manage to find a seafood buffet and congee that quite met mami's expectations here on earth, but I know that she is now feasting with the Lord in heaven. And although she loved seafood while she was here with us, I know that she is finding ten thousand times that joy right now in the presence of God.
I know that there were many things that mami wanted to do but never got the chance to. But, as I look around my home and community every day, I get the immense privilege to see a family and a wide network of friends that have been richly blessed by the God-loving, fun and skilled woman she was. This is her legacy.
You are at home with the Lord now, mami. I look forward to seeing you again.
James
22nd October 2020