In Mother Nature’s Hands
Irvine, CA
2024, Junior, Creative Writing
“Let Grandma tell you a story. You can hear all about Penghu, where I grew up.”
As they both situated themselves, Grandma began, her voice flowing and ebbing like the grace and strength of waves on a sandy shore. When she was only a child, she and her six siblings lived in Penghu, a chain of islands just off the coast of the main island of Taiwan.
When Grandma was a child on the islands, Penghu was caught in an intense Chinese civil war between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China. Many American troops were sent to the islands to manage the conflict and were often seen marching along the streets in their well-pressed uniforms. Despite the destruction and instability around the island, Grandma fondly recalled the bubbly sodas and candy American soldiers often gave her, adding a sweet twist to her day.
Recalling the daily adventures of her childhood, Grandma reminisced, “Every day after school, we chased the white waves down the beach while the cool seawater cleansed our faces and the gentle sea breeze was our air conditioner.” Nearby, sheep would lounge on their backs in the shadow of cacti while Chinese crested terns soaring high in the sky looked down on the island from overhead. Resembling a pair of hands, the island’s unique shape was a loving mother’s heart silently supporting those that called it home. Cradled in the hands of Mother Nature, the island gave every living being in its care an equal opportunity to thrive, challenging their ability to survive and adapt without malice. With only the sky and sea for company, the people on Grandma’s island led simple lives, relying on the waters of the Taiwan Strait for survival.
In winter, the naturally exposed islands were buffeted by monstrous winds, bending trees and houses to their will like a master puppeteer. As a small island with limited resources, fishermen must brave harsh winter winds and summer heat to feed their families. Nevertheless, Grandma recalls, “The awe-inspiring winter wind cannot break the will of the Hujing people, who venture out to sea and fight, fight with platinum fish, and fight for three meals.”
Despite the harsh conditions, Grandma’s voice filled with wonder as she painted the picture of towering vertical layers of basalt standing resolute, placed by Mother Nature for her statue garden. The fishermen built the magnificent twin heart weir of Chimei, made from thousands of stacked stones and surrounded by dazzling blue water.
However, the clear waters of Grandma’s hometown faded into memory when she reached adulthood. Hoping for better opportunities in the industrial main island, Grandma’s family had abandoned their life in Penghu. Yet, even now Grandma still keeps in touch with her friends and relatives in Penghu, going back to buy fresh fish and hua chi wuan (squid balls) to enjoy. Lost in memories, her face mirrored the nostalgic expression of a retired sailor yearning for the cool sea air.
Sadly, Penghu now faces decline, especially for fishermen. Under the extreme conditions brought on by climate change, the once bountiful sea has become temperamental, interchanging between icy cold and simmering warmth and wreaking havoc on the local marine life. Recounting the many stories of struggle, Grandma described how fishermen and cultivators have been unable to match yields from years before severe climate change. Just 6 years ago, an ice intrusion in Penghu decimated schools of fish, starving the fishermen of their income. Grandma lamented, “All throughout the year, we used to find herds of sea urchins scattered amongst the coral. But now, urchins are scarce, only appearing for two months every year.” Furthermore, a local favorite, nori seaweed has also become harder to cultivate, having been devoured by increased populations of tiny fish. As a result, many families were forced to leave the islands with only elderly fishermen remaining to keep Penghu’s ancient fishing practices alive. Soon, there will be no one left.
Grandma sighed and stared pensively into the ceiling. After a moment of thoughtful silence, she lamented, “Before long, Penghu will be swallowed up by the sea. You must keep the memory of your ancestral home alive.”
Work Cited
“We WILL Fix Climate Change!” Performance by Kurzgesagt, Kurzgesagt, 2022. Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxgMdjyw8uw.

Reflection
Reflection
When I was little, my grandmother used to tell me stories of her childhood on a little island in the heart of Asia. These elaborate tales of daring fishermen fighting to catch fish in a stormy sea or nostalgic stories of frolicking on the beach and drinking fresh fish soup reveal a region bursting with culture and liveliness. As I dove further and further into Penghu’s traditions and landmarks, I uncovered an abundant part of my past that I never knew about before. For instance, my research accompanied a broader understanding of Taiwanese Hokkien, which is a colloquial, everyday language spoken by my grandmother and many other Taiwanese seniors. In addition, much of the imagery in the story comes from a translation of my great aunt’s testimony, which was written in Chinese. Besides culture, I’ve also learned about Penghu’s failing endurance through war, poverty, depopulation, and, perhaps most devastating: climate change. My awareness drove home the proximity of climate change. No longer something only seen in the news and taught in school, climate change became a tangible and measurable threat to this significant part of my past. Even worse, climate change isn’t caused by a demonic power or a select few; it is the culmination of humanity’s environmental abuse and neglect in the past century. Fortunately, it is not too late for humanity to stall climate change while we pursue a sustainable future. According to Kurzgesagt, humans have already avoided an apocalyptic ending at 4 degrees of warming and continue fighting against pollution. With these hopeful trends in mind, it is definite that humanity has the potential to stop climate change, surpassing pessimistic expectations and pursuing a better future for every living creature on our precious planet. By uniting as a species, we can turn our gift of innovation towards preserving the wondrous world for ourselves, our children, and everything on Earth.