I am extremely sentimental. Let me be clear: sentimental, not uncontrollably, outrageously emotional. I pride myself on being more objective than your average person and being able to look at a situation from all sides. Just ask my brother — I’m certain he thinks I annoyingly play devil’s advocate way too often. But overall, I am a sap. Case in point:

– Weddings = waterworks
– I wept when my work-husband was laid off, despite knowing that he would move on to bigger and better things
– Thinking of a dog I’ve lost (nearly decade ago) can still bring me to tears
– I nearly cried during this super bowl commercial. Clydesdales? More like crydesdales, amirite?!

All of my friends know this about me. And although I wish I was less tearful at times (how embarrassing would it have been to cry in response to a super bowl commercial?!), I embrace it. I like that I feel so deeply. However, I do my best to hide this side of myself from my family because… I don’t know why. The Zhus have never really been emotive around one another. Whatever the reason, I’m working on it, which makes for a lot of discomfort. One little treasure has made this monumental undertaking a bit less daunting: Lily Zhu.

I love my niece an incomprehensible amount. Born just 4 months ago, she doesn’t do much, but… WOW. You don’t know how much you can truly care about someone until a little bundle of joy like Lily enters your life. I spend time each and every day looking at photos of her (only because I’m too far away to snuggle her in person).

Lily’s arrival and the frightening, but obvious aging of my parents, along with the scary health complications of some of my fit, young friends (maybe more on that later) makes me all the more grateful for our time here.

So let’s get cheesy, shall we? Remember to love deeply and don’t take anyone or anything for granted!

P.S. Thanks reddit, for surfacing this devastatingly sad and heartwarming tale years later. WHO IS CUTTING ONIONS IN HERE?!