I am saddened that I cannot be there to say my goodbyes or to give Uncle Carl, Margaret and Michael and their children, hugs in person.

I am however very grateful to be able to have this short opportunity to share about how Auntie Shenshen impacted my life.
I consider myself very fortunate to have been influenced by so many strong women in my family. Auntie Shenshen was one of those women. 

It was the end of 7th grade, Auntie Shenshen and Uncle Carl had come over for a dinner party. 
Per the usual affair the post dinner musical entertainment was to commence and all the guests had begun to walk single file down stairs to the Shey Piano Studio in anticipation to hear a soon to be high school senior Bruce serenade everyone on the piano followed up by the little virtuoso Stephen on the violin. 

I stayed up stairs in the kitchen. For a brief moment the muffled sounds of music were clear and pronounced and then quickly dulled as I heard the studio door open and close followed by foot steps walking up to the kitchen. 

Auntie Shenshen had come up and was looking specifically to talk to me. 
She had noticed I wasn't down stairs and as we began to talk she quickly commented, 'you must have a hard time keeping up with your brothers. May I give you some advice?'

'sure'

'Do not. Do not try to compete with them.' 

I was so surprised by this, partially because I wasn't expecting her honesty but also because I had said nothing of my teen angst and she hit it on the head. While we talked about many other things, it was the last thing she said to me that has stayed with me to this day.

"Seek out what you love and what you are passionate in. Then do it. Do it for yourself and do not let people try to tell you that you can not do it"

Her words of wisdom have been a mantra for me in almost everything I've set out to in life. I am humbled and grounded because of it but also comforted in knowing that she helped give me the nudge I needed to set me on my path.