Lời cảm tạ - anh Năm Trịnh Bình Chuẩn

 

Xin chân thành cảm ơn quý anh chị em đã quan tâm chia sẻ, phân ưu, cầu nguyện cho anh Dominico Trịnh Bình Chuẩn.

Gia đình rất cảm động và xin tri ân rất nhiều.

 

Xin Cảm Ơn

 

Trong tang tóc, buồn ngân nga từng nhịp,

Ngày hôm nay, lại trống vắng một người.

Toronto, trời lất phất tuyết rơi

Orange County, gió mưa thêm sầu thảm

 

Anh ra đi… cả nhà lòng ảm đạm,

kỷ niệm vui buồn, sẽ mãi mãi khắc ghi

vẫn biết rồi đây, ai cũng phải chia ly

nhưng sao nước mắt vẫn thầm rơi lặng lẽ

 

Xin cảm ơn lời phân ưu, chia sẻ,

với tình thương, lời cầu nguyện thiết tha,

trong mất mát, đã xoa dịu xót xa

tình đỡ nâng, xin ghi ơn - nhớ mãi

 

Anh thanh thản rời cõi đời khắc khoải

gia đình tri ân, xin gửi một lời chung:

tình thương ở lại, mọi thứ khác mông lung

như mây bay, như nỗi buồn cõi tạm ...

 

Duy Hân

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As you may recall, my only brother passed away recently in California.

Just share with you my nephew's note on Facebook, and my reply.

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Rest in Peace, Dad. 2025.

Many of you knew my Dad as a smart man. He was a man of few words and would love to read and go to the swapmeet in search of a good deal. But, I want to tell you a little bit about the man I knew as his son.

They say the things you miss the most aren't the big moments. It isn't the regular things, but the strange little things that only family gets to see. For me, it was these little things that truly defined him and made him my Dad.

One silly story comes from a trip to one of his favorite spots, the swapmeet. I remember this one time he was so into a bargain that he bought a pair of soft boots... except they were for two left feet! I saw them and asked, "Why is there a hole cut out for the toe on one of the boots?" It turned out, the deal was too good to pass up, so he just cut a hole in the shoe to make it fit his right foot! That's only one of the many unique stories about my Dad, but there's not enough time right now. But, I'll keep them in my mind and heart.

It’s funny to look back on, but as I got older, I understood what that truly meant. He wasn't just chasing a bargain, but he was sacrificing appearances and comfort so that his children could live a better life.

Dad, there are some things I wanted to say to you today. Here is my short letter to you:

Dear Dad,

Even though it may have seemed like I didn't listen to you growing up, I did.

I remember when you told me that if I did well, I could buy 300 Ninja Turtle figures. Even though I don’t have those particular figures now, I collect other figurines and statues. And I have many. I remember you watching nature shows with me and buying me various pets. Now, I have many pets of my own. I remember you buying parts to upgrade my computer, letting me watch and learn. Now, I do the same for my kids.

You encouraged me to do well so I could have the things I wanted. So, I tried hard because of you and your words.

I used to think we were so different. But the older I get, the more I realize that we are actually more similar than I would've ever thought.

I remember watching you repair things around the house. Now that I have my own house, I find myself trying to repair everything myself too. When I got good grades, you rewarded me with games. Now, I do the same for my kids. Your influence had a significant effect on me, and you were never ignored.

In the past few years, you slowly got weaker and we didn't get to converse much anymore. I know we had our disagreements, but that’s the thing. Those moments of conflict are what I remember, and strangely, they are what I will miss the most. They proved we were real with each other and that we both cared enough to fight for our beliefs.

I know I might not have always made you proud through the years, but I hope today, looking down, that I have made you proud.

We will miss you. And your legacy will live on through your children and your grandchildren.

Thanks for everything, Dad.

I love you,

Your Son

To everyone else, please hold onto your loved ones. Because, sometimes things can be too late.

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Dear Quang,

I completely understand your feelings, and I am very saddened by the passing of your beloved father. Let us keep one another in our prayers.

Your father is my older brother. His name was beautiful and meaningful — Trịnh Bình Chuẩn, which symbolizes balance, integrity, calmness, and uprightness, helping everything become steady and in harmony. That name truly reflects who he was and the life he lived.

At my son’s wedding, your parents made the effort to set aside his usual preference of “staying home” and flew all the way to Toronto to attend. That was the greatest gift we received, and we are deeply grateful.

Each time I visited California to see your parents, he was always joyful in welcoming me, chatting, and sharing fruits and vegetables from his garden. He loved "cơm tấm" - broken rice dish of Vietnam - so every time we visited, he would take us to eat at Trần Quý Cáp restaurant in Little Saigon.

He valued education deeply. Back then, when he worked in Saigon, every time he returned to Tây Ninh to visit the family, he would reward the younger siblings if they did well in school. Each first-place ranking or certificate of achievement meant a certain amount of money — it kept adding up that way. I received many gifts from him and have always been grateful and respectful of the importance he placed on learning.

Beloved Brother Chuan, please watch over us and help us live well in the remaining days of our lives in this imperfect world. Until we meet again someday…

Han Trinh (Toronto, Canada)