Mother’s Story

I don’t want to forget the stories my mom told me, so I’m writing it down.
She grew up in a village by the sea. Korea was still weak from the occupation from the Japanese. While they pulled out of korea, they took all the food and many of the national treasures and relics. My grandmother had gotten an arranged marriage to this tall handsome man. He turned out to be a bitter alcoholic who forced my grandmother to raise 4 kids by herself. My grandfather took the money and spent it on cigarettes and beer. He died as a drunkard when my mom was 16.

She worked in the factories to help with the family income. She shelled nuts and got little income. She had epilepsy as a kid and had frequent fainting spells. Her dad loved her and thought of her as the favorite child. He would give her piggyback rides to the hospital.

She started going to church after a foreign missionary lured her and her friends with yummy snacks. The church was far away and she walked over two mountains to get there. I think its amazing how a 12 year old girl walked that long alone without fear. She started developing an actual relationship with God and became a christian. She taught herself piano through ear by using the church piano.

She went to college and got an education degree. She was the principal of a preschool and a sunday school teacher in her 20s. My dad was a minister in training and fell in love with my mom. She was tall, smart, musical, and beautiful and she had many suitors. My dad asked her out but she said no because he was too short for her. My dad kept trying and constantly sent her letters. She reluctantly said yes. Their first date was at a carnival by the sea at Busan. She didn’t want to marry him because she didn’t want to marry a pastor. A pastor makes no money and jeopardizes his family stability for his job. Plus in Korea, a pastor’s wife is expected to cook for the church, lead groups, meet up with members, and follows the pastor to any where he goes. She didn’t want a life like that, she wanted to be free and independent.

She fell in love with my dad and wanted to get married. My grandmother was mad as hell. She didn’t want to send her daughter off to marry a poor short pastor. She thought her daughter deserved better. My grandmother hated everything christian and believed in the traditional korean religion of spirits. My mom managed to convert her and the rest of the family.

We moved to the rural area of Korea and started a church in a small village in the mountains. We were the only church there. I respected her so much for being so strong. She never threw down her personal morals and stood her ground.