Happy Mother's Day

May 11, 2025
11:41 AM

Growing up, I used to keep a folder of all the letters I've received. If someone took the time to buy and write me a card, it didn't feel right to throw it away. From birthday cards sent by my distant relatives to little Valentine's Day cards I received from my elementary school classmates, I put them all in a folder.

However, after two decades, the folder was getting full, and I had to figure out how to continue organizing them. As disrespectful as it felt, I decided to digitize them and throw the physical copies away. I took pictures of the front, inside, and back of each card and uploaded them into a folder on my Google Photos. After, I put them all in the trash, except one.

The one I kept was one written for me by my mom on Christmas Eve when I was 12 years old. At the time, she had a job at a diner 30 minutes away and had to wake up at 5 AM every morning to go to work. While it's written mostly in Korean, she made sure to write difficult words in English so I could understand.

In the letter, she apologizes for not waking me up for my basketball tryouts. She said she had a lot to prepare for that morning, and in the chaos, she forgot. However, she continues. In the most loving tone, she wrote about what it meant to be a family and how she hoped for me to be more patient as I grew older.

At the time, I didn't care for the letter. However, today, it's my most valued possession. No matter how many times I read it, it brings tears to my eyes. It shows me how much my mom respected and believed in me when I didn't respect or believe in her. If I could be half the person she believed I could be, I could die knowing I've lived a respectable life.

This Mother's Day, I'd like to thank my mom. Mom, for all the thankless effort poured into raising me to be my own person, for all the days you've looked after me and never expected anything in return, for the love you've instilled in my heart, thank you. Everything I am, I owe to you. I love you, mom.

1:42 PM

P.S.
Wishing all moms a Happy Mother's Day. May you be as blessed and cherished as my own.