Nu Huynh

I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow; I am the diamond glints on snow; I am the sunlight on ripened grain; I am the gentle Autumn's rain. When you waken in the morning's hush; I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight; I am the soft star that shines at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there, I did not die. by Mary Frye (1932) Nữ was the daughter of Trác Huỳnh and Hữu Giang. Nữ was born and raised in Quãng Đông, China. When she was around 7 years old, she migrated to Bình Dương, Vietnam, with her parents. She married and settled there while the rest of the family moved on to Saigon after the death of her father. Nữ was the oldest of four siblings. She had one younger sister, Muội Huỳnh, and two younger brothers, Trì Kim Huỳnh and Lâm Quế Huỳnh. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Nữ might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Nữ was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her. With her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, she kept the family together despite hardship and unusual circumstances. Nữ was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family. Nữ was a naturally creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Nữ, parenting was an enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Nữ was blessed with 13 children, two of whom passed away at a very young age. There were six daughters—Phuong, Qui, Lan, Huong, Mai, and Ngoc—and five sons—Thanh, Phat, Suong, An, and Binh. Tân and Nữ were also blessed with fourteen grandchildren—William, Alex, Angela, Wen-Hao, Jia-Hui, Carmen, Raymond, Jonathan, Kevin, Steven, Julie, Emily, Donna, and Kate. Nữ was uplifted by new ideas, new learning experiences, and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits which made her an exceptional mother. While dedicated her time to her family as a homemaker, Nữ loved a broad variety of activities in her life, so she pursued numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were cooking, gardening, and playing computer games. Nữ had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Nữ's ever-present concern for others always took precedent. Nữ's love of improvising in her daily life translated well into her enjoyment of traveling. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about changes in scenery and constantly seeking for enjoyment life could offer, Nữ loved going to places, joining senior group activities, attending Adult Day Care, and taking vacations. Her favorite vacations included China and Vietnam. Nữ Huỳnh passed away on June 26, 2021 at Falls Church, Virginia. Nữ fought a brave battle against end-stage renal disease. She is survived by her children Qui, Lan, Thanh, Huong, Phat, Suong, An, Mai, Binh, and Ngoc; her grandchildren William, Alex, Angela, Wen-Hao, Jia-Hui, Carmen, Raymond, Jonathan, Kevin, Steven, Julie, Emily, Donna, and Kate; her brothers Trì and Lâm. Services were held at National Funeral Home. Nữ was laid to rest in National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia. Nữ was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She was clever, creative, and witty. For others, she was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, Nữ was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones. Oftentimes, she provided wisdom and courage, while at the same time brought joy and humor for others to live life to the fullest. To Our Beloved Mom... beloved soul choosing with courage this life traversing three countries, two seas and two continents famine, hunger, war thirteen children you harbored griefs and hardships yet there was never a question love was the thread with which you sewed love to survive, love to cohere, love to persevere love an unending thread tending our lives. now, soul of light you undertake your most profound journey yet your home coming welcome, they say, well done yours was a life unspoken, quiet and monumental no dust or burden now covers your glow welcome home, beloved soul ~~~~~~~~~by Ngoc K. Loi~~~~~~~~~ Một linh hồn yêu dấu Một can đảm phi thường Mẹ đã vượt qua 3 quốc gia, 2 đại dương, 2 lục địa Dịch tệ, đói khát, chiến tranh Mười ba đứa con Mẹ chịu bao đau buồn, tủi nhục Mẹ không một lời than thở Mẹ là sợi chỉ đan kết tình yêu Tình yêu trường tồn Tình yêu gắn bó Tình yêu bất diệt Tình yêu bất tận Tình yêu vĩnh viễn suốt cuộc đời chúng con Giờ đây, linh hồn tràn ngập ánh sáng Mẹ bước vào hành trình vĩnh cửu Mẹ đang về nhà Đón chào Mẹ, một hành trình tốt đẹp Cuộc đời Mẹ âm thầm, yên lặng, nhưng huy hoàng Không còn bụi bặm, gánh nặng nào che mờ hào quang của Mẹ Đón chào Mẹ Một linh hồn yêu dấu