November 21, 2017
Twas a rough day in the Stringer home. Things started out alright, but I kept expectations low. After all, it was Nov. 20th, the day our son Vincent died 7 years ago. [You may have heard about him, but it’s fine if you haven’t.] Unlike previous years, I wasn’t particularly committed to writing an annual...
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May 10, 2017
It’s not just another day. Today is our son Vincent’s birthday, born eight years ago on May 10, 2009. The fact that he died 18 months later only adds significance to an already special date. How does one celebrate a loved one’s birth after their death? Our family has had some practice, but only enough...
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November 20, 2016
Today we remember the short life of our second son Vincent, who died on November 20, 2010 at the age of 18 months. As we pass through the anniversary cycle a sixth time, I find the old adage holds true: the more things change, the more they stay the same. Planet earth has become a...
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May 10, 2016
Six years ago, they told us what no parent wants to hear. “Your son has a tumor. Stage four.” We had just celebrated Vincent’s first birthday. He was almost walking, learning his first words. Making sense of the treatment schedule was like deciphering a grid containing every bus route in the city. Our movements were...
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March 31, 2016
As one of several hundred Fuller Seminary students fortunate enough to live across the street from Archives Bookshop, I originally posted this last week on our student housing facebook page. I’m re-sharing it here for the benefit of other Pasadena friends, as well as anyone with the opportunity to shop at an independent bookstore near...
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November 20, 2015
On November 20, 2010, our second son, Vincent Wing Seun Stringer, died at the age 18 months following a 6-month battle with liver cancer. That night, I wrote the first of many blog posts working though my grief, attempting to grapple with what just happened. For the next year, I posted a public entry into...
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October 11, 2015
Today makes 10 years since the passing of my dad, Dr. Ronald B. Stringer. I was barely 25 at the time, married before kids, whatever that was like. Much has happened since October 11, 2005. To mark the occasion, here’s an excerpt from my essay, Pulling Teeth published last year in the book, Father Factor....
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May 10, 2015
The last time Mother’s Day fell on May 10th, I was in the hospital. Not because I was sick, far from it. Our second son, Vincent Wing Seun Stringer had just been born. I don’t remember much about that day, except feeling surprisingly relaxed. It was a peaceful Sunday morning without any traffic on the pre-delivery...
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January 31, 2015
In this post, you’re getting an update, an announcement, and an invitation. First, the update: Back in December, I started a new part-time job at Door of Hope, an amazing non-profit organization whose mission is equipping homeless families to rebuild their lives. Given my social work experience addressing homelessness back in Hawaii, I’ve been thankful for the...
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November 20, 2014
As a parent, I love introducing my children to people. It’s one thing to tell others about my sons, but another thing to introduce them personally. The fun part for me is watching the interaction between my sons and my friends. There’s a unique joy that comes from bringing worlds together, initiating connections between persons...
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