It's the 3rd day of the new year, we went to see my granduncle- grandpa's 9th brother in the hospital.

Taiwanese always say it's not good to go to hospital in first several days of a new year, and bad luck might follow you for the whole year. However, it's my dear granduncle who spoiled us very much when we were little, and who just got stroke a couple of weeks before chinese new year.

I still remember he liked to wear a peaked cap and came to my grandma's house unexpectedly, for some chat or complaint or fresh air away from his home. He was funny and untamed, gallant and untrammelled, childlike and soft-hearted. He's in grandpa's generation but not chauvinistic, instead I found him very thoughtful and romantic. From his eyes I can see his adoration to my grandma but being a grandchild it's very improper to think that way. He only has 3 sons and no girls, so he spoiled me like his daughter and always brought a box of honey cake to my house when visiting my grandma, as he knew I liked cakes a lot since I was born. He and grandaunt always bought me gifts in my big days like birthdays or graduations or when I got in university. One year they even got me a gold necklace. I didn't see them often but I always remember the love they've been giving to me.

He hadn't come to our house for new years for several years since he got leg problem and couldn't walk well any more. Then we heard he got Parkinson's disease and didn't talk much and slept even more. Then this year we heard he got stroke. Time is really cruel and takes away what we used to own little by little eventually, and none of us can predict its next step or control its power. I could hardly recognize him today in the hospital, and saw what time has taken away from him. I was glad to see him again since last time around 7 or 8yrs ago, but I couldn't face him for more than 5 seconds without bursting tears. A strong man might beat up everything but at last he still can't beat up aging. He suddenly turned back to a little baby who can't control excretion, can't walk or eat or swallow or talk or write by himself, sleeps all the time, and sometimes can't recognize anyone. He's so powerless and can only be at the mercy of others. He lost all the dignity he had built up in whole life.

We tried to talk to him and joked around with him. Sometimes he responded back with emotions or whispering, but next min he fell asleep again. God knows how much I wish he could wake up in a sudden and say happy new year to us, or started to swallow food himself and didn't need nose intubating anymore.

The only good thing is, finally he's back to our family reunion again in this chinese new year.