My Grandparents
I never really knew a whole lot about my parent's parents and their stories, because my parents never talked about them families while I was growing up, and I never really asked. If I did try to ask, it was kind of pushed aside and not really talked about except in super vague ways. Over the past decade or so, I'm learning more snippets of their families and why they decided to leave Korea. And with my dad being gone, my mom and I have obviously become so much closer than we would've otherwise, spending a lot of time together and just talking.
My mom's dad lived in Japan, while my mom, her younger sister and brother, and mom all lived in Korea. I was always just told that he was a business man and his business was in Japan so that's where he lived. I never got more than that from her. Yesterday after lunch, I got much more of the story, and I just wanted to document it so I wouldn't forget it.
My grandfather was urged by his family to marry, but at the time was spending a lot of time in Japan, maybe even living there. So he went back to Korea and married my grandmother. Both of them came from good families, I don't know if wealthy is the right word, but they were definitely well-to-do and had money and social status. After they got married, they moved back to Japan where they had my mom. They lived there til she was about 3, and due to the tension between Japan and Korea, and the Japanese not liking the Koreans, they moved back to Korea. My mom's sister and brother were born. I believe he was on a business trip to Japan when things between the 2 countries got really tense, and it just wasn't safe for him to leave. So he stayed. While his wife was left to raise 3 kids on her own. My mom describes my grandmother as being super strong and smart and a very savvy business woman. She was a skilled saleswoman and was very generous, helping neighbors and friends often. My grandfather provided for the family as best as he could while far away, sending only the best things to his kids. My mom remembers the beautiful Japanese clothing he sent her, the pencils and stationary that made all her classmates jealous. It seems like as time went by, it was harder and harder for my grandfather to leave Japan, and it wasn't even a possibility for my grandmother and kids to join him. So that's just how they lived. Eventually my grandfather did have a girlfriend of sorts, I don't think they were able to marry since he was technically already married, but who knows. And when my my mom, dad and I made our voyage to America, we stopped in Tokyo to visit him, where he bought my dad a nice Seiko watch and his Pentax camera that I still have. My mom said he was very happy to see us and spend some time with us. That was the last time my mom saw her dad. She wrote to him occasionally but I didn't get the impression that he ever wrote back. He died shortly after her mom did, when I was in high school.
Because I never really knew either of my grandparents (on either side), I wasn't affected by this at all. I do remember my mom's mom dying, and her having to fly to Korea alone for the funeral. I was sad for my mom, and to see her in such grief, but it wasn't MY grief. I remember my mom coming home while I was at a swim meet, I think I was 14 or 15. It was one of my best races and I actually beat a school record for the 200 meter freestyle. My dad picked her up from the airport and they both came to the swim meet and I remember being so happy to see her. It was the only swim meet she ever came to. My dad came to them when he could.
I want to keep asking my mom questions. I think she wants to share them, so I hope she will share more as time passes.
My mom's dad lived in Japan, while my mom, her younger sister and brother, and mom all lived in Korea. I was always just told that he was a business man and his business was in Japan so that's where he lived. I never got more than that from her. Yesterday after lunch, I got much more of the story, and I just wanted to document it so I wouldn't forget it.
My grandfather was urged by his family to marry, but at the time was spending a lot of time in Japan, maybe even living there. So he went back to Korea and married my grandmother. Both of them came from good families, I don't know if wealthy is the right word, but they were definitely well-to-do and had money and social status. After they got married, they moved back to Japan where they had my mom. They lived there til she was about 3, and due to the tension between Japan and Korea, and the Japanese not liking the Koreans, they moved back to Korea. My mom's sister and brother were born. I believe he was on a business trip to Japan when things between the 2 countries got really tense, and it just wasn't safe for him to leave. So he stayed. While his wife was left to raise 3 kids on her own. My mom describes my grandmother as being super strong and smart and a very savvy business woman. She was a skilled saleswoman and was very generous, helping neighbors and friends often. My grandfather provided for the family as best as he could while far away, sending only the best things to his kids. My mom remembers the beautiful Japanese clothing he sent her, the pencils and stationary that made all her classmates jealous. It seems like as time went by, it was harder and harder for my grandfather to leave Japan, and it wasn't even a possibility for my grandmother and kids to join him. So that's just how they lived. Eventually my grandfather did have a girlfriend of sorts, I don't think they were able to marry since he was technically already married, but who knows. And when my my mom, dad and I made our voyage to America, we stopped in Tokyo to visit him, where he bought my dad a nice Seiko watch and his Pentax camera that I still have. My mom said he was very happy to see us and spend some time with us. That was the last time my mom saw her dad. She wrote to him occasionally but I didn't get the impression that he ever wrote back. He died shortly after her mom did, when I was in high school.
Because I never really knew either of my grandparents (on either side), I wasn't affected by this at all. I do remember my mom's mom dying, and her having to fly to Korea alone for the funeral. I was sad for my mom, and to see her in such grief, but it wasn't MY grief. I remember my mom coming home while I was at a swim meet, I think I was 14 or 15. It was one of my best races and I actually beat a school record for the 200 meter freestyle. My dad picked her up from the airport and they both came to the swim meet and I remember being so happy to see her. It was the only swim meet she ever came to. My dad came to them when he could.
I want to keep asking my mom questions. I think she wants to share them, so I hope she will share more as time passes.
posted by joyce at
12:29 PM
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