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SIEW-NYA ANG: Missing Mommy

 

It has been at least eight years since Siew-Nya Ang saw an R-rated movie. Ms. Ang relished family time and since her daughters Jeanee, 8, and Winnee, 4, were too young for movies with grown-up themes, she only watched family-oriented films.

Ms. Ang, 37, also discouraged her husband, Kui-Liong Lee, from doing yardwork when he could be spending time with the family. "She would say: `Wake up early in the morning. You can mow the lawn when we're asleep,' " Mr. Lee said.

On weekdays, Ms. Ang left for her job as a technical analyst at Marsh USA while her family was sleeping. But every morning around 8, she called home to make sure her girls were properly equipped to handle a day of school and dance, piano, ice skating or gymnastics lessons.

Since Sept. 11, the girls say good night to a picture of Ms. Ang, which hangs on the bedroom wall. Some nights, they complain to it, too. "Sometimes I have to let them know that Mommy is in heaven and other than that I just don't know what to say," Mr. Lee said. "Sometimes if they say `I want mommy,' I can't do anything."

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From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times