January 11, 2009
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My Uncle’s dad’s grave
I was chatting with my aunt who came back from a brief visit to Hong Kong. She told me they spent one day visiting the cemeteries to pay respects to her parents, an older sister and other members of the family that have passed on. She went with her brother who took her to each gravesite.
In an instant, I remembered the first time I visited Hong Kong as an adult with my cousin. My uncle took my cousin and I on a similar tour to pay our respects. We purchased flowers along the way and my uncle patiently took us to every relative that he knew. The cemetery was on a side of a large hill so there was a lot of climbing and walking. One of the graves we visited was my uncle’s dad. He was also named Matthew. I found out later he got baptized in the last days of his life and was buried in a Catholic cemetery.
My uncle told me that my Uncle’s dad adored my mom when mom was just a child. She was his favorite. I made some rough notes of where his grave was and also those of my grandparents. I returned to Hong Kong a couple of years later and visited the cemetery on my own. My mom wrote down the cemetery’s name in Chinese so any taxi driver could get me there. I found my grandparents but couldn’t find my uncle’s dad despite my notes. I walked around and around and was a bit disappointed. I still had some of the pink carnations from the ladies who sold them to me by the entrance. I was talking to myself (not out loud) and I think I said something like – where are you? I absentmindedly took a couple of steps and looked down. His grave was right in front of me. I smiled and placed the flowers there. It was almost as if he was somehow directing me. My mom laughed when I told her the story.
Years later, my sister was traveling on business and she visited the cemetery as well. She told me she found our grandparents and when she walked around she saw my uncle’s dad’s grave. She didn’t know about my story. My uncle had an unusual family name so she took note of it. When she returned, she told my mom about her discovery. My mom was pleasantly surprised and explained who he was. The grave is a bit off the path. She told me she just somehow stumbled on it.
I’ve always thought this was more than a coincidence. I don’t have those notes about the cemetery anymore. I wonder if I will be able to find his grave again the next time I visit Hong Kong?
Comments (18)
Very touching. Did you mean your uncle’s dad’s grave on the title? I visit my dad’s grave once a year when I go to Hong Kong. Even that it took a while for me to find it. Somehow, my eyes still get wet when I was there.
Aww… *hugs* Steve. Thanks for noticing the error on the title. I’ll fix it.
OMG…..the way you found the grave…..interesting……
I have not visited any graves in HK….Most of my relatives are not burried, but got cremated….
Are you sure he did not guide you?
@inchyguy - I think most, if not all, of the recent ones are cremated.
@Fatcat723 - I think in some way he did.
I really like visiting graves
My family actually make an event out of it on the day that we are suppose to go clean it up, once a year
afterwards we have a great big meal, go sing karaoke, hiking, and sightseeing
I also love to visit graves when I went to Europe, New Orleans, Maryland, etc
wow, that is an interesting story. how unusual that you two both happened to find the grave. whenever i go back home, my family likes to visit my mom’s parents’ graves. whenever we go, we also stop by my old pastor’s grave; my family was very close to him.
@Wangium - wow… that’s a pretty good tradition your family has.
@kunhuo42 - that’s great – it doesn’t take a lot of time and I think somewhere up there, they are smiling at us whenever we do this.
Of course he was guiding you Matt! Regardless of how long we live in a country of choice, we tend to continue believing in such things. This was nice memory. thank you for sharing.
thanks for the subscribe. which other account was it ?
I believe that he guided you. I have had similar experience.
When I was a kid I did hv the same experience when finding the graves of my relatives, something just can not be explained
No doubt it was more than coincidence.
*hug*. I’ve always been afraid of cemeteries. I wonder if your
uncle’s dad could tell that you placed the carnations on his grave :]
@ZSA_MD - I believe he was indeed guiding me somehow.
@Dezinerdreams - really? that must have been interesting experience
@agmhkg - interesting how you and others have also experienced this.
@christao408 - yeah, I agree.
@Devilzgaysianboi - aww… don’t be scared of cemeteries.
Hmm.. I wonder what will happen next time you visit Hong Kong. Will you be guided?
It’s a fact of life that we all die… It’s hard to come to terms with.
you should give it another try. i’d recommend it.
@rudyhou - I will – although it will be some time before I can get to HKG.