When I am down and, oh my soul so weary;   when troubles come and my heart burdened be; Then, I am still and wait here in the silence; until you come and sit a while with me.        You raise me up by Josh Groban

This year, I read a very inspiring book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The story follows Eddie, a wounded war veteran who believes his life is uninspired and lonely as he spends his days fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, Eddie is killed while trying to save a little girl from a falling ride. He wakes up in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a location, but a place where your life is explained to you by five people who were part of it—people who affected you, or whom you affected. This book reminded me of the song “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” with its lyrics: “They say in Heaven, love comes first. We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth.” I believe that if we devote ourselves to loving others, to our community, and to creating something that gives our lives purpose and meaning, we may discover that heaven is already here, on Earth.

How can I describe our life in 2012? The truth is, we try to live our lives with youthful energy, forgetting our age. I believe that growth is an ongoing part of our journey, no matter our physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual changes. Time, in many ways, is our life story. As we get older, many things seem less important. Now, I find joy in the precious moments spent with family and friends. I thank God for our daily blessings. I love planting flowers in the garden, cooking for our grandchildren, practicing the piano early in the morning, and most of all, I love our home—the house we’ve lived in for the past 22 years. It’s the little things that mean the most to me now. So, please send me the warmth of your secret smile to show me you haven’t forgotten.

This year, we had the opportunity to watch a Beatles tribute musical in San Francisco. It was a memorable night that brought back many beautiful Beatles songs: “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away; now it looks as though they’re here to stay, Oh, I believe in yesterday,” and “And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me. Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.” We also took our granddaughter Wei to see The Nutcracker Ballet. Though we’ve watched it many times over the years, it never fails to lift our Christmas spirit.

We have received many wonderful articles from you and have learned so much from your wisdom. We’ve had moments of joy and fun, for which we are truly grateful. Thank you. We also pay our respects to some dear friends who have left us for heaven. We will always treasure the memories we shared with them.

As for our family: Yong is partially retired. I still love my work, though I sometimes feel like an old horse—yet I still enjoy running with the ponies. Our children are all in the Bay Area, filling our lives with joy and activity. They are all so busy dealing with the changes of the real world, and we feel they need our prayers more than ever.

We would like to wish everyone the best. May the stars guide us with positive strength forward for the coming year.  May the memories of love be with you during this holiday season.   May God bless you all.