Tag Archives: Family

Our Mother’s Remembrance Service

Every person holds dear to our hearts the memory of those we have lost. For us Vietnamese-Americans, the day of our loved one’s passing is particularly important. Every year on this day, we have a time of family fellowship, so that we can break bread in honor of our loved one. As we share a meal, we smile and share memories. It is a time of togetherness to celebrate the connection that our loved one still fosters amongst those who still set foot on earth. 

This past weekend, my brother Tom-Vinh and I remembered the best mother in the world Continue reading Our Mother’s Remembrance Service

Spiral Jetty

You may or may not be familiar with this iconic earthwork… it is the spectacular Spiral Jetty! After the great American artist Robert Smithson became disenchanted with galleries which he called “mausoleums for art,” he challenged the traditional notions of contemporary art, becoming a pioneer of land art and moving his work to the great outdoors.  Spiral Jetty is arguably his most famous site-specific piece. Constructed in 1970, it’s an impressive counterclockwise coil jutting into the water of the Rozel Point Peninsula. Almost 50 years after it was constructed, we ventured to the northeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake in the state of Utah so that we could Continue reading Spiral Jetty

In Memory of April

Early on Sunday, August 5, 2018, our dearest April Trần, also known as Picaroo, gladly went to heaven to join our mother, Huê Thị Trần (Mẹ), and our other beloved pup, Bucci Trần (Chi Chi). She is a very special family member, and we invite you to click here to read her memorial and view photos that celebrate her life.

Ngày Chủ Nhật, mồng 5 tháng 8 năm 2018, Trần April (Picaroo) đã lên thiên đàng với Mẹ (Trần Thị Huê) và con chó của mình, Trần Bucci (Chì Chì). April là thành viên đạc biệt của gia đình, và mình mời các bạn bấm ở đây để đọc đài kỷ niệm và xem hình ảnh của April

Until next time,
Kathy May and Silas

Laser-Cut Lunar New Year Rooster Cards

Happy Lunar New Year! Year 2017 is the Year of the Rooster! To welcome in the Lunar New Year (called Tết in Việt and 新年 in Chinese), we made Rooster greeting cards to fill red envelopes (called lì xì in Vietnamese, hong bao in Mandarin, lai see in Cantonese). In our cultures, these red envelopes represent good luck and are distributed to children and unmarried individuals. We deviated from tradition in that Continue reading Laser-Cut Lunar New Year Rooster Cards

“Happy Mother’s Day… for daughters and sons who have lost their moms”


Story and artwork by Kathy May Tran

Click here to see story published on Mogul, an online publishing platform for women.

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Dear Mom, happy Mother’s Day.
Today is your day and we want you to know that.
Thank you for everything.
We love you.

We have all said these words before. In fact, we have said them on this day every year for as many years as we can remember. Nothing has changed – we still mean every single word and we still love our mothers just as much, even more. But, at the same time, everything has changed – because now we say these words with our hearts and not with Continue reading “Happy Mother’s Day… for daughters and sons who have lost their moms”

KevinMD.com Publishes Kathy May’s Match Day Reflection

March 18, 2016 was Match Day and, since then, we have been celebrating Kathy May’s exciting match. Her successful result was the culmination of five years of hard work in medical school. But amidst the celebration was also reflection.  Continue reading KevinMD.com Publishes Kathy May’s Match Day Reflection

“The Bittersweetness of Medical School Match Day”

By Kathy May Tran

Click here to view this article published on MOGUL, an online publishing platform for women.

Click here to view this article published on KevinMD.com, a health blog for physicians about all things medical.

Friday was Match Day.

At 12 noon EST, medical students all over the United States simultaneously opened envelopes which revealed the destination of their residency training. The tradition is an exhilarating and emotional event for everyone involved. For medical students, it is a milestone that symbolizes a dramatic life change and a new adventure. It marks the culmination of years of hard work, the end of one thing and the beginning of another. For me, Match Day was an opportunity to reflect upon the difficulty of my medical school years and how those struggles changed my professional and personal life for the better. Continue reading “The Bittersweetness of Medical School Match Day”