My Family Story

Versatile Mom

“Mom, I will grow to be a mom.” “Why?” “You can hold toilet rolls with one hand and hold my hand with the other hand.” I don’t remember, but my mom told me that I said that when I was four years old. On the way back home from a market, my mom used to grab my hand with one hand, holding a pack of toilet rolls with the other hand. At that time, she must have looked great in my eyes. Considering that I was as tall as a pack of toilet rolls, I might have thought that. Now I am taller than my mother. But still, my mother is so great to me; she does without a problem…

Lee Jeong-yeon from Bucheon, South Korea

I Want to Resemble Mom

Everyone has a role model in his or her life and tries to resemble the role model. I, too, have the person I want to become like; it is my mother. She is the most caring and loving person in my family, so I wanted to learn everything whatever she did. When I was around twelve years old, I started learning house chores and helping Mom in the kitchen. But later I had to live away from her for my further studies. Since I was away from Mom, I could understand how much sacrifice was needed to be like Mom. It is not easy for her to take care of all the family members and fulfill wishes of everyone, but…

Vini Alexander Chettiar from Vadodara, India

Love for Her Daughter-in-law

My family had lived with my parents-in-law for six years until we moved out. My mother-in-law took good care of my family while living together, but after we moved out, she is now taking greater care of us. One day, she called me and said she would drop by my house. On the day she appointed, she came with a lot of luggage in her hands. Remembering that it was my birthday, she brought seaweed soup she had just boiled and various side dishes that I had said I liked while living together. On unpacking all the luggage, she hurriedly stood up, saying that she was busy probably because I might feel uncomfortable if she stayed longer. “It’s hard to…

Jeong Hye-su from Daegu, South Korea

When I Was Three Years Old

I happened to take care of a three-year-old daughter of my acquaintance for hours. My parents, who were out with me, picked her up together and headed home. My parents looked very happy, probably because they had little opportunity for taking care of a kid. When we arrived home, I had to carry her up the stairs to the third floor we live on. At the time, my dad asked the girl, “Do you mind if this uncle takes you in the arms?” I burst into laughter because it was funny to see the way my dad carefully asked a child for permission, calling himself uncle not grandpa. Dad looked excited, going up the stairs with her in his arms.…

Park Yun-jeong from Seongnam, South Korea

I’m Sorry and Thank You

One day, my elementary school daughter asked me if she could make dalgona (honeycomb toffee made with brown sugar and baking soda). As I had just finished cleaning the house, I didn’t want the house to get messy but allowed her to do it because I felt sorry for her staying only in the house due to online classes. My middle school son, who said at first he wouldn’t do it, was active later perhaps he got interested in what his younger sister was doing. It was nice to see two sensitive children in puberty making dalgona together like they were playing house. After seeing that, I went into the room. But, a little later, I heard the sound of…

Jo Eun-yeong from Anyang, South Korea

On Behalf of My Parents

I’m the oldest of my eight siblings. When I was young, I did the housework and took care of my younger siblings on behalf of my working parents. My mom worked shifts as a certified nurse assistant. So, once she went to work, I couldn’t see her for thirty-two hours, sometimes sixty-eight hours. I prepared meals for her, washed and ironed her nurse clothes so that she could rest comfortably when she got home from work. She used to ask me like this. “My love, thank you for being my right hand. Help your younger siblings get ready for school. When you walk with them to the bus stop, make sure they are all in front of you and follow…

Lailahni Efa Rose Tuaila from San Diego, CA, U.S.

Daily Life That I Have Taken for Granted

My parents share housework; Dad cleans the house, Mom does the laundry, and they cook together. Since I became an adult, I was ashamed of doing nothing for them, so I volunteered to help them. But my parents said it was helpful when I did nothing. On a holiday, my parents went out and I was left alone at home. It was a perfect chance to finish all jobs around the house. First of all, I gathered up the laundry hanging on the drying rack and folded them. But it was a challenge from the beginning. I couldn’t fold the clothes as neatly as Mom did; the folded parts were stuck out and the shape was sloppy. After trial and…

Kim Ha-jin from Anyang, South Korea

The Most Special Day in Her Life

August 9 This is the name of a new cafe near my house. I thought it was very peculiar when I saw the signboard with a specific date written on it. Every time I passed the cafe, I was curious about the meaning. One day I entered the café out of curiosity. After ordering a drink, I asked the owner what the signboard meant while she was preparing the drink. She replied, “It’s the most special day in my life.” I asked if it was her birthday or wedding anniversary. Then she smiled and said: “It’s my son’s birthday.” It was an unexpected answer to me. “If it’s your son’s birthday, isn’t it the most difficult day for you?” “No…

Oh Jin-hui from Anyang, South Korea

Mom’s 70th Birthday Party

March 1, 2019, was my mother’s 70th birthday. The four of my siblings took each role and made full preparations for her wonderful and memorable birthday party. And the day before her birthday, we all gathered at the appointed place. We were 18 in total including my parents, oldest brother’s family of five, older sister’s family of four, older brother’s family of six, and me. My oldest brother had booked the accommodation for the whole family to stay overnight. That day, the first part of the event began with the opening address of my older brother in the restaurant of the accommodation. As an emcee of the event, he handed out the leaflets on the event orders and held the…

Yun Ju-yeong from Seoul, South Korea

Just like My Sister

As the youngest at home, I have rarely worked hard nor did something difficult. Even on my parents’ birthdays, my elder sister took the lead in preparing birthday food and gifts, so I didn’t have anything to do. This year, too, I didn’t prepare anything for my mom’s upcoming birthday. Then suddenly, I remembered that my sister had gone abroad. Since my mother said, “I want to eat the seaweed soup that my daughter cooked,” I was worried about cooking seaweed soup by myself, but I decided to give it a try. Soon I’ll turn 20, but what I can cook is only ramen (instant noodle). For me, making seaweed soup was a challenging mission. I searched for recipes on…

Jo Eun-bi from Gwangju, South Korea

Mom-Cooked Meals

‘What should I eat for dinner this evening?’ This is what lingers in my head from the moment when I leave work until I enter the kitchen. Since I changed my job and started living alone, I had to invest my time in what I had not put much weight on. One of them is cooking for myself. One evening, I couldn’t eat till late. I didn’t want a good feed or the same side dishes I ate the day before. I looked through the cupboard for anything to eat, and found a can of stir-fried kimchi. A simple and easy-to-eat menu just came to mind. It was kimchi fried rice. I wanted to enjoy a delicious dish, so I…

Kim Jeong-ha from Anyang, South Korea

A Happy Family Made with Care

My husband who works in a construction site, my daughter studying in the lab, and I are living together. My husband and daughter are so busy that it is difficult for us all to get together. However, since I diligently put into practice the “Mission of the Month” in the Happy Home booklet, a little change started to appear in my family. For my husband who goes to work at dawn, I didn’t see him off with the excuse that I was washing the dishes. Unlike before, now I hug him with greeting full of love. On his payday, I always prepare special dish for him with gratitude. Recently, I carried out the mission, “Wash your family’s feet,” in order…

Kim Eun-suk from Seoul, South Korea

Luxury at My Fingertips

This is what happened when I was young. I was about ten years old. There was a cosmetics store in the street where I often go to and from school, and outside the store there was a basket full of nail polishes. One day, my sister, who is two years younger than me, and I stopped in front of the basket while passing by the store. The small glass bottles filled with the colorful and fine liquid looked so pretty. I’ve never painted my nails before, and when my friends sometimes showed off their painted nails, I was envious. Probably because of that, I quickly put a nail polish from the basket into my pocket despite myself. At that time,…

Kim Do-yeong from Buenos Aires, Argentina

Harmony Overcomes Difficulties

COVID-19, which swept the world, has brought many changes to our daily lives. As we learn about personal hygiene and “social distancing” through TV news, newspapers, disaster notification messages, etc., the time we stay at home is getting longer. As we had never stayed only at home for a few days, at first I was worried about how we should spend time together. What is more, it was not an easy task to set the table three times a day for my children, who were having a very long winter vacation. One day, my youngest son said during a meal. “Mom! Come to think of it, housework is not difficult but a little bit annoying.” Then, he asked me not…

Gwon Mi-suk from Seoul, South Korea

When We Look Most Adorable

There is something that contains my vivid childhood days. It is a video tape recorded by the camcorder that Dad purchased about twenty years ago. Since the appearance of smart phones, the camcorder had been placed out of sight for a long time and the tape identification device didn’t work. I was curious about the videos in it, so I found a company that converts the video into a digital file. A week later, the flash drive that contains the videos arrived at home. All my family members gathered in front of TV with excitement and played the video. My whole body was dark because of the sunburn, my younger sister whose teeth had fallen out, and my youngest sister…

Lee Jeong-yeon from Bucheon, South Korea

I Am Always on Your Side

When I was a high school senior, whenever I needed pocket money, I used to sell my articles online rather than ask my parents for allowance. Trade of used articles seemed to have many advantages; I could not only make pocket money but also clear away the items I no longer used, and I could have a sense of economy. Fascinated by used goods trade, I thought over how to make a profit through the trade although I outwardly seemed to study hard in the reading room like other students. While spending precious time on buying and selling things, Scholastic Aptitude Test was just around the corner. One day, I received a call from the police station. I was told…

Kang Min-seo from Seongnam, South Korea

Sending My Child to a Foreign Country

Not long ago, my daughter in the sixth grade went abroad for a history visit, a program supported by the Education Office. She was given the opportunity to take a flight for the first time in her life. On the day of departure, my husband brought her to the airport at dawn. However, when it was around the departure time, I received a call from the teacher in charge. “Jieun says her stomach hurts. Do you know why?” My daughter often complains of stomachache when she is nervous. That day, too, she had stomachache because of nervousness. There was no other way to solve it. I just asked her to skip a meal before getting on the plane and then…

Ma Eun-hui from Yeosu, South Korea

The Beautiful Mind of Fathoming the Heart of Her Grandmother

I have a niece, who has a very beautiful mind. She sincerely cares about her grandmother. She sends her grandmother’s favorite snacks, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and oranges from time to time, and remits some money to her three times a year, asking her to eat something delicious. This kind niece had very difficult times last year. She had been childless for long after getting married, so she had been distressed. Then she could barely conceive, but she lost the baby right before giving birth. Upon hearing the news, I went to the hospital where my niece was, without having a time to grieve. Heartbroken, my niece said that she had been only waiting to see the baby in a healthy…

Lee Sun-ok from Changwon, South Korea

A Smile Brings Joy

One day, I had dizziness. Feeling my whole body weak, I even had nausea. As I am well-built and had not lost strength or appetite before, I was worried about these sudden symptoms. After hesitating a little bit, I went to the hospital. The hospital was where my father had been treated before. The doctor said that I didn’t really need to worry about my symptoms. Then unexpectedly, he asked if my father was doing well, remembering that I had come as my father’s guardian. He also asked if my father would go out often. He advised me to make him laugh a lot to prevent depression that might occur if he stays only at home because he’s so quiet.…

Seo Hui-jeong from Daejeon, South Korea

Making Gimbap

I liked eating gimbap when I was young. On a picnic or sports day, my mom always made gimbap for me. So I took it for granted that I should eat gimbap on a special day. Time passed, and I became a mother. I, too, decided to make gimbap on the day of my child’s picnic as my mom did. But for the first time, I realized that it’s not easy to make gimbap. I shopped for groceries the day before, trimmed the ingredients, woke up at dawn on the day of the picnic to cook rice and fry ham, fish cake, carrots, and eggs. After preparing all the ingredients, I finally challenged making gimbap. I spread cooked rice thinly…

Kim Yu-ra from Suwon, South Korea