Cindy

Ming Cheng

I went to Cindy's memorial service today, together with many friends and her navy fellows.   Cindy  was a beautiful and shy girl,  you could never imagine she was a brave navy soldier who fought in Gulf.   Cindy had worked as a volunteer in our office for many years.  She always quietly smiled,  sitting in office and waiting to be called for pushing a wheelchair patient around,  even after she had been diagnosed with cancer that unfortunately had spread within her body. 

While we gave her our best wishes,  surprisingly,  we heard she will get married.  She showed her another side as a Chinese traditional soft girl.  She insisted to get married when she knew she only had two months life left.  Her touching wedding on wheelchair had been broadcasting by MSNBC nationwide. 

Cindy's simple wedding dress was fluttering in breeze,  we pushed her wheelchair in a garden and celebrated for the last happy moment of her life.  Heaven should be the place she finally belongs to.

Her mother, a first generation of Chinese American, made a speech  at the memorial service in Cantonese about the family and Cindy.  They never were rich or succeed by any standard,  but persistently hold  on both their American dream and Chinese inheritance as well.  She cannot even speak much English after so many years living in USA, but  her words deeply moved everyone after being interpreted.

Her story made me rethink about the debate online that what defines a person as a mainstream American? 

When the presentation of flag started,  step by step,  two honor female guards dignifiedly folded  and presented an American national flag to the family on behalf of this grateful nation as a token of appreciation,  all people stood up to salute,  a military bugler aside played Taps,  the sound reverberated loudly in the hall.

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest
God is nigh.

Suddenly, I had understood what mainstream American is about.   Mainstream American is about a spirit,  and  an identification.  it does not matter how much money you made, or what kind of position you hold in America, as long as you identify with American values,  and fight for it,   you are a mainstream American.