Jenn’s Triumphant Return!

It’s hard to believe that Jenn’s momentous journey to China is over and she is back home safe and sound. The month just flew by! This past week that she arrived back home has been a whirlwind of activity – unpacking, the excitement of hearing Jenn’s stories of her trip, seeing all the beautiful souvenirs and gifts she brought back with her, and, yes, dealing with jet lag.  Also, getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. There is a lot to be thankful for this year!

As I sensed and mentioned in a past blog, “Coming Full Circle – China!”, Jenn has grown. I hear it in the way she talks about her trip. I see it in the expressions on her face, the passion and confidence as she tells me and others about her experiences there. This time, no longer a student, she was welcomed everywhere as the granddaughter of a man who made an impact on the modernization of a young China republic. She is still feeling overwhelmed about how respectfully her grandfather is viewed, and how this respect flowed to her as his granddaughter. Not only as his granddaughter, but one who has taken the time and effort to research his work. In a way, to establish his place in Chinese history; thereby, securing hers and our family’s ancestral lineage for all time and for all to see. I sense that she has a deeper love and appreciation for what he contributed to China but also to her as well.

And, now comes more work for her,organizing her notes and photos, following up with lecture invitations, staying connected to those generous people who have offered to assist in furthering her research and writing her book! Her connections have now gone global, widening the scope in the spreading of her grandfather’s work. Jenn is already making plans to put aside a good portion of her time to find out what else she can learn about her grandfather.

I wish I could have been there with her, but with my illness, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the rigorous schedule set by the World Congress, or even the plans made for her in Nanjing and Hangzhou. I also don’t think I could have withstood the high count air pollution. She told me that in one of the cities it was well over 200ppm. I have enough trouble breathing in Los Angeles where the pollution is higher than a lot of cities in the United States! And, she would have worried about me the whole time.  She did not need any distractions. This time was hers – to step out into her own, bring her grandfather’s work to another level, and receive the acknowledgement of a job well done! I find it fitting that she celebrated her 50th birthday a day before her lecture in Shanghai! It symbolically marked the beginning of her move into the next stage of her life.

I want to personally thank everyone who made Jenn feel so welcome – a coming home, as it were, a personal connection with the Chinese part of her. And, even if she doesn’t yet realize this, I believe that this was a pilgrimage, a milestone and a turning point in her life! Not only is she more cognizant of what China has contributed to her being, but that through her research, she is also giving her grandfather back to China.

Thank you!

It’s hard to believe that Jenn’s momentous journey to China is over and she is back home safe and sound. The month just flew by! This past week that she arrived back home has been a whirlwind of activity – unpacking, the excitement of hearing Jenn’s stories of her trip, seeing all the beautiful souvenirs and gifts she brought back with her, and, yes, dealing with jet lag.  Also, getting ready to celebrate Thanksgiving. There is a lot to be thankful for this year!

As I sensed and mentioned in a past blog, “Coming Full Circle – China!”, Jenn has grown. I hear it in the way she talks about her trip. I see it in the expressions on her face, the passion and confidence as she tells me and others about her experiences there. This time, no longer a student, she was welcomed everywhere as the granddaughter of a man who made an impact on the modernization of a young China republic. She is still feeling overwhelmed about how respectfully her grandfather is viewed, and how this respect flowed to her as his granddaughter. Not only as his granddaughter, but one who has taken the time and effort to research his work. In a way, to establish his place in Chinese history; thereby, securing hers and our family’s ancestral lineage for all time and for all to see. I sense that she has a deeper love and appreciation for what he contributed to China but also to her as well.

And, now comes more work for her,organizing her notes and photos, following up with lecture invitations, staying connected to those generous people who have offered to assist in furthering her research and writing her book! Her connections have now gone global, widening the scope in the spreading of her grandfather’s work. Jenn is already making plans to put aside a good portion of her time to find out what else she can learn about her grandfather.

I wish I could have been there with her, but with my illness, I wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the rigorous schedule set by the World Congress, or even the plans made for her in Nanjing and Hangzhou. I also don’t think I could have withstood the high count air pollution. She told me that in one of the cities it was well over 200ppm. I have enough trouble breathing in Los Angeles where the pollution is higher than a lot of cities in the United States! And, she would have worried about me the whole time.  She did not need any distractions. This time was hers – to step out into her own, bring her grandfather’s work to another level, and receive the acknowledgement of a job well done! I find it fitting that she celebrated her 50th birthday a day before her lecture in Shanghai! It symbolically marked the beginning of her move into the next stage of her life.

I want to personally thank everyone who made Jenn feel so welcome – a coming home, as it were, a personal connection with the Chinese part of her. And, even if she doesn’t yet realize this, I believe that this was a pilgrimage, a milestone and a turning point in her life! Not only is she more cognizant of what China has contributed to her being, but that through her research, she is also giving her grandfather back to China.

Thank you!

(Above is photo of Jenn in the Main Meeting Room of the China Academy of Art, formerly the Hangzhou National School of Art co-founded by her grandfather in 1928.)