April 19, 2026 – These past few days have not been easy – fever this morning, yet we pressed on through downtown Auckland, strolling the marina, climbing the Sky Tower, letting the city unfold beneath us.
Auckland holds a special place in my heart. My dear older brother – not by blood, but in every way that matters – once lived here. I didn’t know our gathering in California in 2018 would be the last time I’d see him. Cancer came in 2020. He was gone by 2021.
Today I stood before his resting place and the tears came without restraint. His wife WW had driven David and me through pouring rain to get there. I quietly prayed the sun would break through by the time we arrived. It did. In that moment, I felt George beside me – looking down, wearing that smile he always had.
He was a big brother to me in every sense. Movies, ice cream, small ordinary things that over the years became something far greater. He was family.
Afterward, WW showed us the real estate projects she and their older daughter JY are now managing together. Their younger daughter KY is finishing college, headed toward graduate study in cello. Seeing them flourish brought its own quiet comfort.
Visiting George today closed a chapter that had stayed open too long. I know I will return to Auckland. And I know I will see him again.
