Recently no matter which country you are traveling in, wherever you read a newspaper, whenever you turn on the television or radio, horrible news greets you throughout the world countless victims getting killed through terrorism, hatred, conflicts, misunderstandings, as well as untimely natural disasters as earthquakes, typhoons, floods etc. This prompted me to think about how important that this greeting reaches to you!
May this holiday season bring us not only Peace and Understanding, but also Tolerance and Respect for our differences in religion, tradition, race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, etc.
Participating in diversity and interfaith multicultural programs are great ways to serve, learn and incorporate inclusion into our lives. We are so fortunate in Roanoke, VA, to have many excellent organizations that assist people of all ages with various issues: local governments, neighborhood groups, nonprofits, private businesses, educational and cultural groups remarkably many do so free of charge.
In October 2019, the Fu Family (Pearl and CC) made the big move to the big city of Philadelphia to be closer to our children. Our youngest, Colette, lives in Philly and is a very busy artist yet manages to assist us in every way. My 20+ years of having this Parkinson’s ailment has affected me physically and mentally. My husband, CC, is now my primary caregiver doing everything from cooking to cleaning. Each day, I have in-home physical therapy to keep me walking and moving because I am so very rigid and stiff. My other daughters, Penny and Wendy, keep a close watch over us and chip in to help out when needed. CC and I feel very blessed to have such caring daughters.
Every year I look forward to writing this Christmas letter bragging about the accomplishments of our three daughters: Penny, Wendy and Colette as well as the three grandchildren. I’ve tried to change my style of writing when I heard that people frown upon others bragging about their families. Well, I will give it a try and deliver you this “update” on the Fu Family for 2019.
First daughter, Penny, her husband Adam, and their three children lead very busy lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Penny is director of sales at New England Bio Lab. Adam leads a computer company; granddaughter Cami graduated from MIT. Second granddaughter Tessa is a freshman at Brown University and frequently wins awards for her cello performances (she’s booked to be the star cello performer with the Boston Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall). Youngest grandchild Beckett is a sophomore in high school and enjoys mastering jazz on the saxophone and piano.
Second daughter Wendy, loves the fascinating challenges of being a Homeland security officer in New York City. We feel truly safe when she is around.
As we have grown older, the roles have reversed, and now we are the receivers of many gifts especially the Fu Family favorite: food! Wendy constantly showers us with packages of exotic and unusual foods from all over the world.
Third daughter and our youngest, Colette, is our world-traveling artist, lecturer, instructor, photographer and writer. Please check out her latest masterpieces on her website: www.ColetteFu.com
Happy holidays to all of you my dear friends! If you are ever in the Philadelphia area, please stop by to visit us. I look forward to hearing about your “updates” for the 2019 year.
With My Worldly Love,
–Pearl Fu
