In Chinese tradition, Qing Ming is a day for remembrance, a day for us to cherish the memory of our loved ones who passed away, and also to pay tribute to our ancestors.

In the past few days, you could see on social media and also in many English-speaking programs, their long list of vocabulary related to Qing Ming, the rituals and the stories about this tradition.

But this is not what I'm going to talk about in my show today, because for most of us, Qing Ming is not just about the theoretical knowledge and words on paper. It is connected to a very soft part of your heart. It is a day for remembrance, and especially if you have experienced the loss of loved one.

So in my episode today, Lulu is going to share with you some of the sayings in English by people who have also lost someone, and they're trying to cherish their memory.

今天小酒馆里，就着清明我们来说说怀念。

In English, when someone passed away, you usually see the word “in the loving memory of …”, in the loving memory of someone who passed away.

Sometimes it's very difficult to forget someone who gives you so much to remember. So let's look at some of these sayings from the famous to the anonymous. But love and emotions in these words are very genuine, all the same.

The first saying of the day from the Greek playwright’s, Euripides欧里庇得斯, and he wrote:

Come back, even as a shadow, even as a dream, 归来吧，哪怕只是一片影子一个梦境也好，归来吧。

Sometimes we can miss someone so much, but we don't even realize it.

This is why in the second saying, it says:

Sometimes memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks.

Sneak out means to secretly get out. So here memories turn into tears. 有时回忆会从眼角偷偷溜出来，滑落我的腮边。

We may not even realize how much we miss someone until we feel the tears.

There are so many people in the world. Yet for us, there are only a few that truly matter, this is why saying number three said:

Sometimes when one person is absent, the whole world seems depopulated.

Depopulated means not having enough people. 明明只少了那么一个人, 整个世上却都冷清了.

Sometimes when one person is absent, the whole world seems depopulated. I'm sure a lot of people feel like that when they've lost someone that matter to them the most.

And this is why people would give anything to have them back. Saying number four says:

If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven and bring you home again.

用眼泪和回忆能不能建成通向天国的阶梯, 接你回来团聚。

And moving away from this overwhelming sadness and a sense of loss to a slightly more positive note, saying number five says:

Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.

夜空的繁星也许正是我们在天上的那些亲爱的人们流泄而出的爱意, 让我们知道他们在天国很好。

Whether you believe in heaven or not, the connection between you and someone you love and care about is likely to stay long after they're gone. Saying number six says：

Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity.

Heartstrings here is the connection between two hearts. 那些我们深爱的人即使离开, 也不会切断两颗星之间永恒的纽带.

Same as saying number seven:

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them.

只要我们心里仍然爱着, 我们深爱的人就一直没有从这个世界离开。

This reminds me of the hit film Coco. It's the idea of as long as you remember someone, they're never really gone.

And the last saying of the day is：

We never truly get over a loss, but we can move forward and evolve from it.

Evolve is to grow, and to develop.

我们也许永远无法忘却失去亲人、爱人或挚友的悲痛, 但是我们仍然可以从这种悲痛中成长, 继续向前。

And in the end, we finish today off with a note to all of us who are living. This is a famous saying by Steve Jobs.

He said Almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

几乎所有的事, 所有外界的期许骄傲, 碍于面子的担忧和对失败的恐惧, 在死亡面前都不值一提。

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.

记住我们每个人终将死去，才能避免在人生中患得患失。

You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

我们都会赤裸裸地面对死亡，所以在活着的每一天都去追随自己的心吧。

So with the loving memory of the loved ones that have passed away, we move on, we evolve, and we follow our hearts, and live every day as if it's your last one.

I hope you enjoyed today's program, until next time. Bye.