Parent's Love...

So I know it's been abnormally long since I've written, but let's just say I've been a little busy lately. Whew... May is FLYING! But I can't say I'm complaining right now...only 77 more days until I see my family! I'm definitely counting down to that day!

I wanted to share a story of an encounter that Lauren and I had last week while she was visiting (which was amazing, btw... more on that later).

On Saturday, Lauren and I decided to venture out to Olympic Park where the Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics were held. It's a really cool place, and it was so fun to think about all of the world coming together in the very spot we were walking. So after we walked a while, I decided it was time to introduce Lauren to the ice cream waffle that Korea so proudly boasts. Conveniently, there was a restaurant in the park, so we were able to sit outside and enjoy the absolutely beautiful weather we were having that day.

So we're just sitting enjoying our waffle when an old man begins to approach us. I thought to myself, "oh no, here we go again... another crazy wanting to speak English." He began talking to us casually, introducing himself as Mr. Seong. I was a little bit startled at first because he was just going on and on about how beautiful we were and how he couldn't believe we didn't have boyfriends or weren't married. But then, the conversation shifted from something light and weird/funny, to something more serious. He started to explain that Saturday was Parent's Day. He asked us about our families, and wondered why I would be so willing to leave my family behind. He then began talking about his own 4 children, especially his youngest daughter who lived so close, but never came to visit. "Do you know how much your parents love you?? Don't you know that they love you more than anything?? How could you leave them so easily??" He kept saying over and over. Tears came to his eyes as he explained how we could never understand the love our parents have for us. This little old man just broke our hearts right there. The saddest part, is we knew it was true as he was walking through the park alone on Parent's Day, his children unaware of how much he wanted just a little bit of their time....

I'm grateful for this chat I so randomly encountered with this man. I'm so thankful for the reminder of my parent's love, and the sacrifices they've made for me.

Happy (belated) Parent's Day, Mom and Dad... you are 2 very, very special people. Thank you for loving me more than I can know or understand :)