"We Will Be Mother and Son Again": A Statesman's Tribute to His Mother

When Qin Houxiu, the mother of former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, passed away peacefully at the age of 94, her son penned a deeply moving eulogy entitled "Missing My Mother." The tribute instantly went viral, touching the hearts of hundreds of millions of people across the Chinese-speaking world. It serves as a powerful testament to the enduring bonds of filial piety, family legacy, and the immeasurable sacrifices a mother makes for her children.

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"Mom is gone. She left peacefully and serenely," Ma Ying-jeou began.

In her final moments at the intensive care unit, Ma rushed to his mother’s side. He tightly held her warm hands—the very hands that had raised him—kissed her cheek, and whispered softly into her ear:

"Mom, have a peaceful journey. Your children, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, and grandchildren are all here to see you off. Dad will be waiting to welcome you over there. Go peacefully, don't be afraid! We have shared this bond for 64 years. In our next life, let's be mother and son again, okay?"

Surrounding her hospital bed, the family gently sang to the tune of "Happy Birthday," their voices breaking through tears as they changed the lyrics: "Thank you, Mom, for giving birth to me. Thank you, Mom, for raising me. Thank you, Mom, for educating me. Thank you, Mom, for loving me."

With those words surrounding her, she closed her eyes and bid farewell to the world.

Forged in the Fires of History

Qin Houxiu was born into a scholarly family in Hunan, China. Raised with traditional values, she was intelligent and kind. Before the age of formal schooling, she had already studied the classics in a private academy, developing a profound foundation in literature and beautiful, elegant calligraphy.

However, her youth was interrupted by the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War. The brutal, agonizing struggle of national defense left an indelible mark on her life. It was during these wartime relocations that she met her future husband, Ma Ho-ling. Recognizing her as "the embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty," he actively pursued her, and the two fell deeply in love.

When her husband answered the call to join the army to defend their nation, she suppressed her own fears and heartbreak. At his farewell gathering, she spoke words that her son still remembers with immense pride: "Historically, all successful men have walked out from the battlefield."

The Agony of Survival

After the war, the family eventually found themselves as refugees in Hong Kong. The reality of survival was incredibly harsh. The family of seven survived on just two meals a day. While her husband made steamed buns during the day and worked at an amusement park at night, she worked as a toll collector.

To keep her children fed, she quietly pawned the jewelry her own mother had given her. It was a silent, agonizing sacrifice to ensure her children survived the chaos of displacement.

When the family eventually settled in a crowded tenement in Taipei, Taiwan, she continued to stretch her limits. Caring for a family of eight (including her mother-in-law and five young children) required monumental effort. She worked during the day, occasionally taught classes at night, and cooked for the entire household. She even used a sewing machine to make uniforms for her children to save money.

"Books are Treasure; Kindness is Not Empty"

Despite the crushing poverty, Qin Houxiu never abandoned the intellectual and moral education of her children. In 1958, in an era before television and computers, she spent her evenings teaching her young son classic Chinese literature.

Decades later, when she was in the ICU, her mind remained clear. Ma Ying-jeou sat by her bed and recited the ancient poem Peach Blossom Spring from memory. When he got the words right, she nodded. When he made a mistake, she shook her head. They were reliving the precious, warm memories of a mother teaching her son under a dim lamp fifty years prior.

She instilled in her children the family motto passed down from their ancestors: "Gold is not a treasure, books are; everything is empty, only kindness is not."

She lived this motto daily. Ma recalls a time in his childhood when he saw a starving elderly man rummaging through a garbage bin for food. He immediately ran to tell his mother. Without hesitation, she grabbed a steaming hot steamed bun and gave it to the starving man. Seeing the profound gratitude in the man's eyes taught young Ma the true meaning of compassion.

A Final Salute

In her 70 years of marriage, Qin Houxiu raised her children to be loyal, filial, and hardworking. She lived to see four generations of her family thrive, leaving behind 38 descendants who continue her legacy of harmony and progress.

As Ma Ying-jeou concluded his tribute, he summarized the two greatest inheritances she left behind: Motherly Love and Family Education.

Engraved on her urn is a final, poetic salute from her children:

Cultivating virtue and integrity, a lifetime of loyalty and patriotism;
A loving mother and a wise teacher, an eternal debt of parental grace we can never fully repay.

It is the ultimate acknowledgment that behind every prominent figure stands a mother whose silent sacrifices, agonizing labor, and unwavering moral compass built the very foundation of their success.