Passing of my Great Aunt

At 4:30pm this afternoon Macau time, my great aunt of 103 years old plus some odd days has finally passed away peacefully at the hospital with my dad on her side. Her health had always been good until just this last week. She had begun feeling aches and pains in her bones and had problem controlling her mobility. She fell three times last week while I was in Macau. In and out of hospital twice in the last 7 days. Finally, her life energy had waned.

Her life was interesting. Apparently, during the Japanese invasion, her family was killed - husband and children. Since then, she lived alone, never remarried, quite independent. When we (as in my family) was poor, she went to the factories picking up odd pieces of cloths so mom can sew me jackets and shirts. There were some old photos with those "smart" clothings. She had her daily routine even in her very old age. She exercised twice a day. She cooked herself. One day last year, she came to see my dad with some money in her hand; she told my dad to take the money for her brother, my grandfather, he needed it more than her with the 24-hour nursing. Three weeks ago, after her eye surgery, she walked to the wet market by herself so she could shop and watch the Chinese Opera. Last week when I was there, she was still very sharp with her mind though mobility was a bit suspect. She recognized everyone, remembered everyone's name and constantly trying to do things herself so she would not rely on anyone. She didn't live far from our apartment, 200M away in this little alley way. It was there that the Lo family ancestral home used to be.

Her passing is not a sad event but a celebration of her independence over 103 years, more than a century.