I mentioned earlier that my father was very keen on numbers. His mathematical ability was exceptionally strong. He once said that when he saw music notes on a sheet in college, it felt as though he were looking at bean sprouts on paper—he had no idea how to read music. But he was able to use math to answer music theory questions and ended up getting better grades than classmates who actually understood music. This left them puzzled.
I don’t know how he found the connection between math and music, but I’ve always been fascinated by his mathematical abilities. And he wasn’t someone who relied on Google to search for information. I still don’t know how he discovered that calendars from different years follow the same cycle. For example, New Year’s Day in both 2021 and 2010 falls on a Friday, so the calendars for those two years are exactly the same. My dad would upcycle old (but clean) calendars—like the one from 2010—to record new events in 2021.
Because my father loved math and logic, he enjoyed playing Sudoku and solitaire. He tried to set new winning streak records every day. Given the choice, he preferred to play mahjong. He would even prepare mahjong rule sheets to teach others how to play. He often played the 13-tile version of mahjong with relatives and friends. The stakes were low—usually just a few hundred NT dollars (under 35 USD). Sometimes, they played for up to eight hours in a single day, yet the total winnings or losses rarely exceeded NT$100 (about 4 USD).
Both of my parents loved going for big hands. However, those required not only skill but also luck. While they were happy to win money, winning with a big hand brought them even more excitement. They also played the 12-tile version of mahjong, where one tile is kept "in the mind," allowing for more variation and flexibility.
For my father, mahjong was not just a game to train his brain—it was also a joyful time to chat with relatives, classmates, and friends, and to share delicious food. On his desk, we often saw a note he had written: “The most cherished thing in the world is the time spent with loved ones.” Truly, a word of wisdom.
Dad had always been very sharp and had an excellent memory for numbers. He remembered the birthdays and wedding anniversaries of family members and made special calls—even overseas—to wish them well. My parents lived with us in the United States for a few years. Whenever someone had a birthday, he would create a special handmade gift for them. He was always so thoughtful in planning, designing, and making gifts. It was truly touching.
I’m very bad with directions. Fortunately, I can use Google Maps now to figure out which bus or MRT to take. Dad couldn’t use new technologies, and I never knew how he memorized the MRT and bus routes. Every time I wanted to go somewhere, he would tell me which bus or MRT to take—just like Google Maps. I guess someone with good logic must have a way of remembering these things.
When it comes to Google Maps, I’m reminded of a story my sister told me about our 2017 trip to Kyoto, Japan. They all took the tram together but got separated because of the crowd. Dad was agile and got off the tram one stop early. My sister tried to signal him not to get off, but she wasn’t quick enough. At that time, Dad didn’t have a cell phone, no money, and couldn’t speak Japanese. Fortunately, he stayed where he was, just as he had taught us to do when we got lost: don’t panic, just stay put. Eventually, his grandson found him.
Here’s another little story: Dad had the habit of recording his daily step count on the calendar. In the past, his goal was 10,000 steps a day, and sometimes Mom followed along. Although Mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2013, during the 2017 trip to Japan, they still walked around 16,000 to nearly 20,000 steps a day. It’s admirable that both of my parents, in their 80s, could walk so much every day.
But aging progresses quietly. Many in the older generation don’t want to burden the younger generation. When they need help or support, they usually don’t ask for it. I hope that friends whose parents are still around can carefully observe their health and provide appropriate support in a timely manner.
Today (2022.07.02), I was looking through Dad’s 2019 calendar and noticed that it also recorded some events from 2021. In 2021, we practiced counting the Omer for 50 days, from Passover to Pentecost (2021.03.28 – 2021.05.16). This involved, after Passover (the day commemorating redemption), daily “watering” (cultivating spiritual life), “weeding” (removing negative qualities such as fear, ambition, doubt, etc.), and loosening the soil for 50 days. In other words, it was 50 days of Counting Blessings.
Each day, we wrote down things we were thankful for, as well as things we wanted to uproot, plant, and nurture. On April 1, 2021, Dad wanted to remove his proud title of “thrifty.” I believe this was inspired by the Holy Spirit. He reflected, “If you need to spend the money, you will have to spend it.”
(To be continued …)
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