THE MONEY TREE : LIFE IS HOPE ~THE 921 EARTHQUAKE MEMORY DAY

[qrebecca Chen]

Today is the 921 Earthquake Memory Day.
Taiwan people never forget the suffering day. 21, Sep. 1999, Taiwan had suffered a serious earthquake. There were 2,415 persons dead in this suffering.

今天是九二一地震紀念日。1999年9月21日，台灣遭受到嚴重的大地震，有2,415人受難死亡。

22,09,1999, I with my younger brother went to my sister’s new house which was suffered earthquake house. The house was built in Wu-Fong , and my sister just moved to live for 1 week. The family was so sad for suffering the Earthquake, because 920 was my elder sister’s husband birthday and her family just celebrated the new house and birthday. But that night, at 0147am, 921, the big earthquake destroyed the house, and they escaped the house by the Parachute approach machine.
地震隔天，1999年9月22日，我和弟弟前往霧峰探視大姐，她才剛搬進去住一星期的新家在921地震時被震垮了。他們非常的傷心，因為920 是姐夫的生日，他們在那一晚剛剛慶祝搬新家和生日。沒想到當夜921凌晨:1:47的大地震卻把這新家給震垮了，好險他們迅速以緩降機逃離大樓。

WU-Fong was on the earthquake line, it was serious destroy. We helped elder sister to rehabilitate homeland. Same time I saved a plant which was named “Money Tree” from the destroying house. I saved it, not because its name was “ Money Tree” but for it was living, and it remind the Suffering Day and remind to protect the earth.

霧峰位於地震帶上，所以當地遭到嚴重的損壞。我們幫助姐姐重整家園，在那次，我從毀壞的屋內帶出一棵金錢樹。我把樹帶出來，並非因為它叫金錢樹，因為我覺得它有生命，而且可以提醒我這次的災難和提醒我要如何保護大地。

10 years ago, my sister laughed at me, why I want to save the tree. But today, I talked with my sister about the tree. My sister was really surprise. She was surprise that the tree was still living.

十年前當我把樹帶出來時，我姐姐笑我為何要把樹帶出來。但今天我跟她聊天，我跟她說這棵樹還活得很好時，姐姐非常的驚喜，她覺得不可思議我沒把921的金錢樹種死了！！

Son of the Money Tree ^_^

The Money Tree is still living, and so lovely, every time, when I put water, it remind me that life is Hope.

金錢樹仍然活著，它非常的可愛，每次澆水時，它總是提醒我921的事，921的精神就是活著就有希望！

Yes, life is Hope, do not give up any hope, just to live！ Everything if you can do, just do it, even it is a small thing, do not give up , just do it.

是的，活著就有希望，不要放棄任何希望，只要活著，做你能做的事，即便一件小事也不要輕忽，只要去做！

Thanks my elder sister always helps me, and encourages me, and thanks, she sent me lots pictures about her homeland Wu-Fong.