Brief reflections on my 60th year old birthday

With the great compilation of my older daughter Ruby I got a small booklet giving to the guests on the dinner party. I later sent some to close friends here and Taiwan too as a small token to better understand myself as a humble human being. As a farm boy all I have in my mind now is gratitude and appreciation toward the contention of my life so far. Though not with much wealth, I feel rich with all I got metaphysically.

農田泥中立雙足
土石路上奔前途
貴善友人來相護
方有今日小老夫

(I learnt to stand my feet from the mud in the field of rice,
And walk into my future from the road of rubble and dirt
Without all the good ingredients through my life,
and those big helps of good merits
I can’t be what I am today as a happy little old guy)


生身貴人是家父
赤貧不退催讀書
忠孝節義言身教
雖不識字好老師

(My first gratitude goes to my father who gave my life
In pure poverty he never get tired
of supporting me a good education in far sight
He sets for me a good type,
By being a man of principle for life.
Illiterate as he came out, he is also my mentor to live by.)


伴身貴人阮牽手
婚前財物一摩托
台美長路起伏多
結髮情人好輔佐

(My second gratitude goes to my wife
Who has been following me through my life.
When she married me, my only asset was
Just an auto-bike (moto-cycle).
With the long road from Taiwan to America for change of life,
We went through many challenges, low and high,
This partner from this fundamental marriage is
my best companion and assistant for my whole life)

人說兒女是債仇
我欠她們真不多
善解獨立不煩我
閑散農人也收割

(People always comment and sigh,
That children are their debt from previous life
Frankly, to me it doesn’t quite apply
Understanding and independent
They are not being much burden in my side
I feel like a loose farmer,
Who did a little but still have some good harvest at site.)


甲子走過路漸收
善人友朋是寄托
浮生若真是場夢
但求夢美尿不多

(After 60 years, my road ahead is poised to down size.
Good and honorable friends will be my future assets from hereby,
If life is really like a dream, as romantic people cite,
I just wish my dream sweet with not much piss to interrupt by.)

Yapp, at this age or over, many guests laugh with an agreeing grin after reading this part. Physical truth to human.Frequent visit to rest room at night breaks good dreams. ha ha.