The Chinese symbol for family comes from a combination of two radicals: a roof, and a pig underneath. I used to joke during family gatherings that there were a lot of pigs under the roof, and my younger cousins would oink back enthusiastically.
That’s how I remember my family in Hong Kong: three round tables of people in a dim sum parlor, receiving packet after packet of red envelopes during New Year’s, and remembering every, yes, every name for each relative in Cantonese.
That, and a lot of gifts.
“She’s almost taller than me!” my grandmother exclaims, handing me a satchel heavy with toys and candy.
And sometimes, the “gift” was just asking me how my life was going, answering my random questions about their jobs— or watching my chaotic performance of “Let it Go.”
Even after I moved to the United States, family (both immediate and more-distant members) has been such a big part of my life. From my parents, who, no matter how busy, accompany me through life’s biggest hurdles; to my aunts and uncles, who know, without fail, when we’re going to walk through the gates at the Hong Kong International Airport; they’re always there to help.
I know that I can always send messages about my life, and they’ll still make time to care (Shoutout to my very cool uncle in Australia—I finally know how to do partial fraction decomp!). I know that I can FaceTime my grandparents during the Mid-Autumn festival and have the year’s first bites of mooncake together. That in my family member’s hearts, they are supportive and interested in seeing me grow and evolve as a person.
Family stays, even after the last strip of char siu has been eaten and the tea is cold. When there’s little to talk about and I’m in the awkward stage of life where I’m reluctant to share anything about myself with anyone. They’ll try their best to understand my interests, passions, and aspirations.
Since then, my family has taken residence all over the world, with uncles in Manchester, cousins in Sydney, and of course, the few that remain in Hong Kong.
But even though we’re all scattered across the planet, I know that we’re just a FaceTime call, a text message, or a memory away. Thank you so much, family. Whether you’re someone I see every year or a faint dot on my family tree, you’re the best I could ever hope for.
