It was Father’s Day last Sunday (June 21) and Josie Ho paid tribute to her late father Stanley Ho the Casino King.
The Hong Kong star is the daughter of Stanley Ho and his second wife Lucina Laam. Stanley Ho passed away in May. Josie Ho chose a career in the entertainment industry, unlike her siblings who are part of the family business. Josie has been an actress and singer for more than 20 years.
On Jun 20, Josie uploaded a photo of herself with Stanley and model-actor Conroy Choy in November 2003 on her wedding day. In the caption, she wrote that Australia was a little warmer than usual that year and that she and Stanley were sitting in the carriage. Stanley wore a wool jacket and it was so warm that she could see the sweat on his forehead. When Josie asked if Stanley felt warm, he laughed and said no. He knew that Josie was nervous about getting married and tried to make her laugh. She could not recall the jokes he told her.
She remembered that the carriage was moving very slowly and that the road was a little bumpy. Josie recalled that the weather was great and that her father’s smile was radiant. Josie continued, “The carriage was a little high [for me to climb out of], so dad gracefully held out a hand to me when I was getting off. I looked a bit pathetic pulling the long train of my gown. Dad helped me arrange my skirts, and told me that I was beautiful on that day.”
However, instead of thanking him, Josie snapped at him. “I turned around and told him angrily: ‘Dad, you’re stepping on my gown. This gown was specially designed and is very expensive. You gave it to me.’” Despite that, Stanley’s smile never faltered, as he walked beside her on the path to the wedding venue.
“I was wearing high and thin heels that day,” she wrote.
“I walked very carefully because it was an unfamiliar place to me. The sun was so strong, and I got a bit light-headed because of how hot it was. Dad continued to smile and extended his arm to me so that I could hook arms with him and walk towards the grass patch [where the ceremony would be held].”
Josie remembered Stanley telling her that getting married meant that she was entering a new phase of her life and that she was not only his daughter but also someone’s wife. Josie added, “People say that every [woman]’s most unforgettable memory is when she’s holding on to her father’s arm while she’s wearing her wedding dress as she walks towards her husband-to-be on the red carpet.”
“[My father] always wanted to attend the most important moments in my life, such as my movie premieres and award ceremonies. But I always rejected him. Even if he came, I avoided him, and I threw tantrums because I was afraid of the awkwardness that would come. The only time I didn’t avoid him was at my wedding. I really wanted to hold on to his arm as I was married off,” she said.
She then ended her post with this poignant message: “Just like how you personally saw me off to embark on married life, I want to properly send you off today. I know you’re going to a place that’s very far away. There, you’ll never get sick, and you can tell your jokes every day. As for us, we’ll meet again one day.” /TISG