Green Jade Laughing Buddha

Gifted by Mom, 1997

This Laughing Buddha was given to me by my mom on her deathbed. She passed away from gastric cancer in 1997, at just 49 years old. I am now 49 myself.

In that moment, she gave me this Buddha not just as a keepsake—but as a token of good luck, strength, and stability. Something solid. Something that wouldn’t change, even as everything else around me would.

Its green jade-like surface feels cool and grounded. Its belly—round and joyful—laughs in the face of impermanence. I look at it every day. It reminds me of her courage, her humor, and her deep desire to protect and empower me even as she was slipping away.

This isn’t just a Buddha. It’s my mother’s final blessing—something unshakable I can carry forward.

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