This set of cancelled stamps was among a folder of stamped envelopes that I saved after my year living in Taiwan. Some were from letters sent to me while abroad. Others like this one were recovered from friends and family who had saved letters that I mailed during my time in Asia. This particular envelope and stamp shows through the postmark my mountain location at that time in the green landscape of Yang Ming Shan. It also reminds me of the respect for ancestors associated with the philosopher Confucius. The cultural symbolism of a respect for elders is comforting to me as I have now matured enough to see the importance of that value. At times an artifact serves as a tribute to enduring values that cross national and cultural lines. Such reassuring concepts are sustaining in this modern world.
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