On Thursday June 18th, 2020, this world lost one of the most beautiful souls, our sister-in-law Maichee Thao. She shared the most wonderful life with her five children and husband, Symon Moua Lee. She would've been 35 on the 26th of this month. She touched so many hearts, and showed so many people how genuine and pure love really feels.

In the days that she's been gone, I realized that her beautiful smile has been imprinted in everyone's minds. She will forever be remembered by the beautiful smile that always gave everyone a little bit of sunshine, and the laugh that gave everyone a smile. You'd think that she'd run out of that light that she always gave to everyone else, but she continued to give. That's who she was. She never stopped giving. She never stopped smiling. She answered to every call for help, and she did it without an ounce of resentment. She didn't have hatred in her heart. Her heart was too pure to know it.

My brother and my Tis Nyab (sister-in-law) loved each other dearly. They didn't boast or talk about their love. It was the kind of love that you didn't need to hear about. You could see it when you were with them. The way he'd eat half her pho because only her hands can make the most delicious pho for him. The way she let him, because she always wanted the best for him. In their first year of dating, they would wake up with the the sun and meet at 5 in the morning just to see each other. She'd treat the dryness of his hands with a little bottle of lotion that she always had on-hand just for him. Until their very last winter together this year, she still continued to lotion his chapped hands. Together, they had five amazing children.

My Tis Nyab was one of the most loving mothers I've ever seen. Her ears never missed her children's cries. Her arms were never empty of warmth. Her strength never dwindled when she held her children. She gave her all to her children, never thinking of herself. The first words her children utter upon waking up every morning is, "Mommy." Her children are 8, 5, 4, and 2 years old. The youngest one is only 3 months old.

Whether their mother had left the house for a second, or for a few hours, the clicking of her key in the door will never bring so much joy to the house. I'll never forget the sound of their voices yelling in unison, "Mommy!" Their little feet pitter-pattering across the carpet, racing to greet their mother with the biggest hugs, eyes sparkling with excitement. But our house will never hear that joy again.
Our lives were robbed of this wonderful soul, and with her, we have also lost the warmth of our home.

We will never see her bright smile again, or hear her giggly laugh. My brother will never taste her pho again. Her children will never hear the clicking of her key in the door. She didn't come home on June 18th, and she won't come home today, or the days after. She won't come back because of a reckless driver who failed to stop at a stop sign and T-boned the vehicle my Tis Nyab was in.

Our family appreciates any contributions for the funeral expenses and to help raise these five wonderful children.

Link to an article of the accident.