[diary] July 16th, 2004 Friday

[-Sassy-]

July16th, 2004

I have this friend who is just as close as a family member to me.  She is much older than I am as a mother of two beautiful children and her husband.  I’m really familiar with her life history and today I’m going to share it with you.

I have no idea who her real parents were.  Even if they are alive now, they must be pretty old, but the thing is I strongly believe that they are already dead long long time ago, probably before she was adopted by this fine family.  She was a good girl.  She was smart, I suppose, considering that she used to speak really fluent French.  But regardless of her father’s keen and sometimes strict attitude of bringing her up, she started to go over the edge, and finally, she quitted her school before getting the high school diploma.  She ran away over and over.  She was addicted to drugs when her father found her, and of course, there was no need to mention about having sex with guys, smoking, and drinking problem.

Her father, however, didn’t give up.  He, a devout Catholic, prayed for her and took care of her.  Regardless of his good care, she could not stand his stern rules to keep her away from drugs and alcohols which in the end put her back onto the road.  After several times of such things, her father could find her with her children and her husband; at that time, she was already broke, and I believe all she needed was money. 

Her father, whom I’m also extremely close to, is not only a kind man but also a strong man.  He knows how to handle people, and if he thinks it is right, he does it whether or not it may hurt their feelings and worsen the relationship between them and him for a while.  And of course, he is still strict about her daughter going back to the drug world.  However, that does not mean he is just like a military guy.  He is a loving man who sacrifices every fortune he has for those who he loves.  He made a great deal of money when he was young, by doing all those hard chores such as driving the ambulance or working as a clerk even when he was a student.  Even if he is pretty rich at this point, he is buying his clothes from second hand stores, and whenever he goes shopping, he always picks up the cheapest ones.  This man, this very thrifty man does not spare a penny for himself and sacrifice his time and money for his daughter’s family especially to her children.

When others tell him that her daughter seems to be only taking advantage of him because she has used drugs even after she started to get financial supports from her father every now and then.  When they tell him to stop supporting her and her family, he always nods and firmly says that even though she may be just using him, he cannot abandon her, and especially her children.  The biggest thing that makes him keep helping them is his grandchildren.  He asks what they have done wrong that makes them deserve to starve until their parents come home after drinking and get hurt by every single word their parents snap when they are under drugs. 

Fortunately, now their conditions seem pretty good.  Even though the daughter and her husband can’t get away from the temptation of their way of having fun, but I want to say they are at least trying.  These days, one of the most beautiful scenes that make my eyes watery is when this father gives his daughter a big hug.  I always grin whenever I see it.  Now these children are having a good time.  One is going to a Catholic high school next September, and his younger sister who is the biggest tomboy I’ve ever seen sometimes give me a hug which really surprise people because it is pretty rare for her to do something like that.  They are bright, gentle, and smart.  I was actually amazed when I first met this boy: I was expecting a spoiled boy blaming his parents for everything.  How wrong I was and how prejudiced I was.  He is such a beautiful boy.  I love him so much, and I still can remember the moment I asked him if he wanted some more fruits and his answer: “no thank you, but thank you for the offer.”

I’m a blast person to share these moments with these marvelous people.  They may have lost their minds long time ago, and they may be struggling because of the mistakes they made.  But still, I love them, and I’m going to stay right beside them because they are my true family.  Seeing myself saying “no thank you, but thank you for the offer” every now and then, I always realize that I am the luckiest person in the world because God has allowed me to meet these people and teach me a lot through those people.  They are precious people in my life whom I will take care of for the rest of my life.

[작은배]

Wow! What a great story it is. I have enjoyed reading your journal. Thank you very much, Sassy

[zman]

It's a very touching story. She muct had a tough life... you must be really happy to know and love people like that.

[-Sassy-]

thanks^^ i am glad that you enjoyed this. Yeah, as I said in the journal, I think i'm really really blessed. really really really...