The most beautiful holidays in the world are the Hindu Diwali and Thailand’s Loy Krathong.

These festivals of light celebrate the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. I have celebrated Diwali in Lhasa Tibet with the Indian cooks of the Snow Dragon Hotel and Loy Krathong with my wives and children. Sadly this year I will once more miss joining them in offering a krathong or decorated flower basket to float down a river or out to sea.

“I float for you,” my youngest son Fenway told me over the phone.

“I wish I was with you.” Especially since I could stand with his mother and vow to be with her forever.

“You come soon, papa.” Fenway is my superstar. Mam is my love.

My daughter Angie and her son Sunson clasp my heart.

I can’t stop thinking about all of them; Noy, Frost, Fook, Angie, Sun Sun, Pen, Fenway, Nu and Mem.

This evening I will go down to the East River and throw flowers and coins under a full moon with Venus crowning the sky. I asked forgiveness of the goddess of water ‘Phra Mae Kongka’ for fouling her rivers and streams over the year. There were no ‘khom loy’ or floating lanterns in the night sky. Thailand is on the other side of the world. We share the same moon and I read the Loy Krathong’s lyrics in the dark.

November full moon shines,
Loi Krathong, Loi Krathong,
and the water’s high
in the river and local klong,

Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Krathong is here and everybody’s full of cheer,

We’re together at the klong,
We’re together at the klong,

Each one with this krathong,]
As we push away we pray,
We can see a better day.

A better day will come with the union of my family and me.

Chok dii.