Our tears are our gifts

"Learn this, do that, work quickly, make haste

You have bills to pay, there's no time to waste

Don't look back, no need to stop now,

Pushing forward, but where are you going anyhow?"

My first twenty-eight years went by in a blur,

My memories long faded until I met Her.

It's as if time had slowed down to a standstill,

For time gained meaning with purpose to fill.

"Stop and think! Are you ready to take on a wife?

What will you need to sacrifice in your life?

Don't get me started on starting a family,

Can you even handle that much responsibility?"

Time had slowed on the eve of the Second Millennium AD,

We looked into each other's eyes with vulnerability.

My heart glowed with desire, by my mind trapped by my fears,

Pushing forward gave birth to the first of many tears.

"Now you've done it! There's no turning around,

No returns, no refunds, just seeking common ground.

Trade in that dream of driving a Jaguar

for a life of driving a mini-van as a chauffeur."

Time stopped for the moment as I gave her the ring,

In the present, facing my fear, it got my tears flowing.

It was the beginning of a life of time-stopping moments.

Could anyone avoid a life of regrets and resentments?

"Your life is now filled with uncertainty and doubt

With challenges that make your insecurities come out.

Will your marriage survive the bumps and bruises?

Or will it become a choice of who wins and who loses?"

Time stopped and tears flowed with the birth of each son.

I cried tears of joy with each achievement they had won.

Tears of anxiety when my career fell short of expectation.

Tears of fear when the marriage itself was in question.

"Were your choices the best ones for your family to follow?

Make sure the kids are well-prepared to fly solo.

When you're lonely, take comfort in your Past,

Your happy tears will keep you company until the very last."

When the clock ticked on our marriage, tears were shed,

Ticking at a snail's pace in the 23 years since we were wed.

Stopping countless times to notice what mattered in life,

I gained appreciation for the true beauty provided by a wife.

"You cried when you stopped chasing an unknown future.

You cried when you stared at the reality of the present.

You cried when you looked back at the regrets of the past.

What do you truly have but the tears of living your life?"

Life once sped by in a flash, and became a life immersed in the present

As sunset approaches, I look back to the past as the best present

Thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me

Thank you, my wife, for the gifts of so many tears

To my beloved wife, Shu-min. I wrote this poem to thank you for choosing me to be my partner in this lifetime. My gift to you to honor your 46th birthday is this poem. I know you deserve much more, and what you truly seek will come in the future. For now, I want you to know that you gave given me the GIFT of a life worth living. THANK YOU for all the gifts you have bestowed upon me. The gift of partnership, the gift of commitment, the gifts of three precious lives brought into this world and nurtured with your LOVE. Even the gift of your smile and laughter, and the warmth of your hugs is enough to give me happy tears.

I have long forgotten the sound of my mother's voice. Your voice is one I do not want to forget in my lifetime. Some please keep me enchanted by your spoken words.

Words don't have as much meaning to you as it means to me. For me, the words are more of a spiritual and lasting truth than a practical technical manual for living. My words should express always express my true feelings about you. I know I have hurt you and have taken you for granted for many years. These are regrets I have to take to my grave.

With the time I still have on this Earth, I will work on fulfilling my promises to you and leave behind a solid foundation for our family to build their futures upon. Thank you for the sad tears, the fearful tears and the happy tears. They are all precious for me. I leave you now with some of our priceless memories as a family.