TimeOut

Dear Purist Friends,

I suffered a great personal loss recently.  Some of you know that I've been dealing with this matter for

more than 4 years. It is partially one of the reasons for the very existence of PuristSPro, as it evolved from ThePuristS.

ChocoFrog making the Pilgrimage to the Peak...Huang Shan, China.

 

Though we had much longer than we could reasonably expect,

given current western medical science, it is never any easier when that time actually comes.

We are just grateful for the time that we had, and even more grateful that the end was peaceful and painfree.

Though I am well trained for these matters, again, it never is any easier when it hits close to home.

Life has been chaos, and for the past several weeks, both before and after,  has been like stepping

off a speeding train, then trying to get back on, without having the conductor slow it down one bit.

 

ChocoFrog paying respects to the Granite Scholar, meditating eternally in Huang Shan

The person I lost was very important in my life; indeed, he was very important in many people's lives,

as evidenced by the outpouring of grief, gratitude, and love shown from all over the world,

from those who knew him;

those many who received his kindness and care;

and those who benefited from his wisdom.

He was a tireless educator and philosopher, who always maintained his principles,

yet never hid behind principles if that would mean being unkind or cruel.

He always preached compassion as well as perseverance;

He taught never giving up, more often by stoic personal example than by stern lecture.

He tried to persuade in those around him forgiveness, understanding, and compassion;

he led by example in respecting one and all, from the poorest to the richest.

He treated all with respect, from the poor farmer barely ekeing out a life of sustenance for his family,

to the janitor and taxi driver, to Heads of State and Captains of Industry.

He was the one that taught me to appreciate the shared one grain of rice when the host only had two,

as much or more than the loaned Lamborghini or shared private jet.

And most of all, to be kind, generous, forgiving and compassionate to all, no matter how much we might think we

have achieved or how refined we think we might have become.

He worked tirelessly, and more often than not, silently and behind the scenes, on matters great and small. Even now,

we are only just starting to realize the breadth and depth of his work. We, those of us closest to him, continue to be amazed

by the expressions of thanks and gratitude ("gan en") from those we didn't even know he knew, let alone helped and nurtured;

from Presidential Offices to Corporate Boardrooms to students who could not have gone to school, instead trapped in cages of poverty working to feed their families,

had it not have been for him...

He worked so tiredlessly for others that sometimes, it seemed he forgot about his own family, when in reality he was always thinking and planning for them most of all. 

This became evident after his body is no longer with us, by his legacy and what he left behind; only then did some things become clear.

I recall having the chance to sit next to Mr. Wang Yong Ching, widely considered "the father of Taiwanese business management", when I was 13 years old. 

It was a seat he should have had, as guest of honor.

I only later learned that when Mr. Wang originally asked him for a favour, and what would he want in return, his only demand was the chance for young Thomas to have the chance to sit next to Chairman Wang at dinner and benefit from Mr. Wang's wisdom and experience. 

He never slowed down to enjoy "leisure" or "luxury" ...perhaps ThePuristS was my retort to him, something I could not, dared not, say in person,

while its underpinnings and principles were my homage to him.

I made a pilgrimage to the Mountaintop, despite many warning signs along the way that perhaps I should not have, that doing so might

be dangerous and a one way trip.

It was a trip I had to make, for I had to bring the spirit of this great man to the peak, a trip he never made during his lifetime,

to see the grandeur and glory of God's work,

and so he could see that I, too, will not give up.

This is the dawn of a new age, one that he helped usher in.

I hope that we, all of us, the PuristS community and family worldwide, will continue to do what we can to help nurture this new era to ever greater heights of peace, beauty and grace.

My sincere gratitude to the wonderful moderator and executive team here on ThePuristS and PuristSPro, as well as to all our friends,

All around the world.

"Do the right thing, because it is the right thing to do."

Sincerely,

TM

Many of you have kindly asked, and my family would appreciate most whatever contribution you can make to the

American Cancer Society

or whatever charity or research organization dedicated to helping others less fortunate than ourselves.

And to stop and extend an act of kindness to someone, even if a total stranger...

 

 

 

This message has been edited by DRMW on 2011-05-21 22:42:21 This message has been edited by DRMW on 2011-05-23 22:24:43

My thoughts are with you Thomas ... i wasn't aware you suffered such an immense loss .... :-(

I can only confirm your pilgrimage was the right thing to do ... both for you and the beloved one you lost.

Sincere,

Filip

Your touching thoughts, plus the beautiful pictures brings everything into focus.  Too often we are so engrossed in our modern society, we don't appreciate the beauty and love around us.  Everyone should take a moment, pull back from the chaos, and show how much we appreciate and love what has been given us.  My prayers go with you Thomas.

Frederick

what a beautiful post! - a beautiful tribute to a beautiful person. thank you for sharing with the larger purist community and for reminding us to appreciate both the finiteness and infiniteness that life has to offer. as always, our thoughts are with you and your family.

thank you for sharing,

Filip

Most of us has to face this unvavoidable situation, Thomas.

And there is no solution to  feel better.

We all feel for your loss, pain, and " affective solitude " .

It won't replace your loss and pain, but IGOTT II is very close, and you will  have, around you, a lot of your SINCERE friends.

What's better than IGOTT to fight against that " affective solitude "?

All the best, Thomas. You and your family are in my thoughts.

Nico.

Cheers,
pplater.

Hope you and the family are well Thomas,

ThePurist Emeritus will live on in your hearts and memories, may his PuristS values carry on to everyone around.

-Ming







This message has been edited by DRMW on 2011-05-21 23:25:49

I wish you a long and fruitful life

Julian

That's a lovely way to remember your father, Thomas. So many wonderful attributes. So much to live up to. So inspirational.

And it should also make us think of family and friends still around us. The effect that we have on them, and others, as we pass through this life.

It's a painful time, but always remember what you gained and not what you have lost.

Lovely photos and journey to accompany these thoughts.

Appreciated.

Andrew

Very nicely written homage.There's much beauty,tranquility and peacefulness in those photos and the fond and loving memories would give you much strength in moving
forwards.Kindest Regards.

Great pilgrame and great report to share with us. All my sympathy to you and your family. Matt

Little if any words can follow your emotional story, Thomas. I am new around, so will permit myself only this little note - those who have moved on keep living in our hearts, stories and memories we pass on to those after us. Until we remember and carry them with us, they are next to us to support, help and double our guardian angel in all we do.

Thank you for sharing this story, Thomas - I feel privileged to have seen and read it.

Thank you for taking us on this journey with you, TM.  I hope the trek brought you a modicum of peace.  It's difficult to lose a loved one, but I hope you take solace in the great affection that all of us, your PuristS family, have for you.

Take good care.  I keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

Daos

Thanks a lot Thomas for this lesson for us all.

Fx

Take care my friend.

I have never had the honour of meeting the gentleman yet I can certainly sense his philosophical influence. He will be missed.

who will continue to influence our trajectory without our having known.
Strength to you and your family Thomas, we are thinking of you.
Don

.. again, I am very sorry for your loss.  I have been there, twice, in my life so far.  It never gets easier at the second time.  I just hope he be free of pain and happy up there.

Yours,
Ken

That's why I always try to keep a momento of the great person I respect, to remember their great values and emulate them. I can feel your loss from the photos of the mountains, that make me think of transience and eternity.

It is obvious that the person was a great source of inspiration for many through his actions and deeds, but I think I am not alone when I say that it is also obvious that his influence was so strong that it continues to live and thrive through you - and hopefully many others.

My thoughts are with you and your family in these difficult times.

My sincere respect

Nikolaj

This is a time to mourn, and we're here to share that with you, but there will certainly be a time to dance again, too.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, friend.

JL

Dear Thomas

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Bill

Dear Thomas,

You did your best to help him reach the top end of his life. I hope he has taken you to the heights of wisdom and the family will soon find the peace.

You have to rest too. You deserve it.

Enjoy life.

Take care

Jerome

I hope your pilgrimage to the top of the mountain has brought you some peace.  Your dad should be very proud of the son he raised and the kind heart you exhibit towards everyone.

- Anthony

knowing that you've struggled and fought with this inevitable day makes it no easier. your wonderful words coupled with the exquisite photographs brings one more ray of sunshine out from behind those dark clouds. my loving thoughts to you, your wife and of course the girls.

best,

elliot

all of us along some metric, a losing battle.  Time heals all wounds, and while the memory will never fade, the loss and suffering will hopefully diminish.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Andrew H

Very touching words and a great tribute to the underlying principles and values of your father.  May he rest in peace.

Regards,
ED-209

...to someone who clearly made a difference in your life.
Even more that it was your father. Having that kind of relationship is what many fathers and sons only dream of.
Thank you for sharing something so deeply personal.
This message has been edited by mrsnak on 2011-05-22 13:42:28