My beloved big brother, Zhao Yang, was born at sunrise—and our father named him accordingly: Zhao Yang, the Morning Sun. Like the rising sun, he was warm, bright, and full of life. He had a sharp wit and a great sense of humor.
After bravely facing cancer and its many complications for almost a year, he passed away on July 17, 2025 while the sun was setting. He was 69 years old, born in 1956. One of my college professors once offered a simple but profound insight about life: on every gravestone, we see the birth year and the year of passing—but it’s the dash between them, “–”, that holds the real story. That dash represents how we lived, loved, and gave of ourselves.
My Rising Sun filled that dash with kindness and generosity. He was a wonderful brother—always looking out for me, taking me places, sharing delicious food and joyful experiences, and letting me be fully myself. He never tried to change me. He just loved me.
I believe we’re all deeply connected, and in that connection, nothing is truly lost.
Thank you, big brother. The morning sun rises everyday. You’re always close to my heart.
我親愛的大哥朝陽在清晨太陽升起時出生，父親因此為他取名「朝陽」。就像晨曦中的太陽一樣，他內心溫暖、明亮、充滿活力，又機智幽默，令人開懷。
在與癌症及其併發症奮戰了將近一年，他於2025年7月17日, 日將落時刻安詳離世，享年69歲，生於1956年。
我有一位大學教授曾給我一個深刻的啟發：他說墓碑上刻著出生與逝世的年份，但真正重要的，是中間那道短短的「－」號。那一橫，代表了一個人如何度過一生、如何愛人、如何留下足跡。
我的「朝陽」哥哥，用那道「－」填滿了溫柔、善良與待人慷慨。他是一位了不起的哥哥，總是關心我、保護我，帶著我到處遨遊和我分享美食與歡樂。他從未試圖改變我，而是接納我、讓我做自己。
我相信，萬物皆相連，因此沒有真正的失去。謝謝你，我的好哥哥。朝陽每天都會在天空升起。你永遠在我心中。
My brother at his 2nd daughter’s wedding 7 years ago. Me in the foreground. It was a joyful day for all of us.
A memorable trip in 2018, my brother took Scott and I to a beautiful temple and a super cool market in Chya-Yi. It was great fun!
My brother and I last year, 2024, in Tainan.