Happy 60th Birthday!

Gwohann's 60th birthday celebration on May 31 was one of the happiest days in our lives. The event, conducted in Mandarin, was filled with laughter and many touching moments.  Below is a recount of the event.  The Men's book club opened the event with their signature anthem "I Am a Happy Man" which filled the room with joy.  Jen-I and Lynn's hilarious dating skit brought back the sweet memory of our younger days. The entertaining slideshow presented by Jonathan took us through the active and passionate life of Gwohann.. We couldn't stop laughing at the brilliant song and dance ensemble presented by the talented River of Life Board. The '笑笑，笑笑‘ words stuck with us for several days afterwards.  The light dimmed again, appearing on the screen was videos sent by Gwohann's co-workers at Mentor Graphics.   Hearing their remarks and birthday wishes help us know how much his colleagues admire and love him.    Later, we were amazed by the bravery and creativity of our cell group who wore Chinese traditional costumes, each reciting GwoHann-customized classic poetry. The highlight for us was when they gave Gwohann blessings in an ingeniously revised 包青天 song. Our eyes were wet with tears when Pastor Tong Liu presented the 'Global Mission Ambassador' award to Gwohann. It is an honor beyond our imagination. Surrounded by family and friends, Gwohann's face glowed with happiness in the lights of the '60' candles. Life has never been so good, he said. The celebration would not be complete without a game, a favorite pastime of Gwohann. After the Trivial Pursuit game, everyone learned that Gwohann could eat a pineapple a day if he was allowed to, and also learned which country is still closest to his heart. Speaking of which, another short video showed several family members from Taiwan singing and dancing wishing Gwohann happy birthday, in Taiwanese style.  Gwohann burst into tears when our daughter Stephanie paid her tribute by singing his favorite song 'What A Wonderful World', a song that reflects his dreams and hopes. But, he felt comforted when our kids Christina and Jonathan together gave a humorous and appreciative speech about him, affirming their love for him. For the first time in my life, I serenaded to Gwohann with 月亮代表我的心,with the whole audience joining in. Our honoree took the stage to thank our guests and gave a testimonial of his journey in battling lung cancer.  He named and honored several key people who had guided him in his life.  He concluded that the love and support from our family and community is what continues to sustain him in the battle against cancer. The finale came when Gwohann and I sang '在我生命中的每一天'. We chose the song because the lyric is how we feel about each other, thanking each other for being there everyday.  As the end, we expressed our hope that the celebration will be a reminder to everyone that they should thank their loved ones for being there.  --- Jacqueline