As the oldest grandchild, I have the privilege of knowing Gong Gong the longest. He deeply valued intellect and integrity. Everything he did was to the best of his ability. To me, Gong Gong could do anything, from teaching me to swim at Walden Pond in Massachusetts, to remodeling a house (including excavating, electricity, and plumbing), to making the perfect slingshot to discourage the squirrels in the backyard from snacking on the fruit.

I wish I had inherited his organizational skills, but instead I would admire how everything in his house was perfectly suited for its function and had its proper place. When I found the ideal portable bookstand for all of my textbooks in medical school, I knew it was also a good gift for Gong Gong’s Bible. His study had not a bit of clutter. The tidiness of his mind was reflected in the tidiness of his home.

Gong Gong led by example and not by words. In everything, glory and thanks were given to God. When I was little, I thought “Gan Sheh Tzu” was just something you said at the end of every sentence. I am reminded of Philippians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” To the end of his long days, every time I held his hand and asked him how he was feeling, one of us would always say, “Gan Sheh Tzu.” And in the end, that is really all there is to say.