Your Creative Sparks:
- The simple act of LISTENING can open the door to healing.
- When we understand ourselves better, we can UNDERSTAND our parents.
- Together, we can HEAL the divide between the life that once was and the life that now is.
Creating the space to share our stories leaves room for healing to take place. After recording ended on our last episode, Lobsterbird's mom, Sumi unexpectedly opened up with painful revelations about her past and her own mother. Memories began to surface that revealed a deep poverty wound from childhood, shedding light on the fierce modesty and fiery hard work mindset that would shape Sumi's every action afterward.
Your Travelogue
- Sumi's parents lived in the country in Korea. As a young girl, Sumi remembers climbing far into the mountains to gather wood for burning in order to stay warm in the winter. It was hard work to collect a bundle big enough to last the night. Several women would go together, and because of the great distance they would pack lunches. Sumi often had no lunch to bring, but her family depended on her gathering the wood. Her mother didn't even have a winter sweater to keep her warm. [2:15]
- Resources were slim and hard to come by, Sumi's mother went to extremes to try to feed the family. Once, when there was no money to buy rice, Sumi's mother cut and sold her long hair to the wig makers. [9:11]
- Later in life, Sumi feels sad that she was not able to buy the things her mother needed. She also struggles with anger over the wealth enjoyed by her sister-in-law as her mother went without. [12:12]
- Becoming a mother herself, Sumi wanted to provide better for her daughters. "Special Night" was Fridays at McDonald's, where there would be food and little toy. Even today, Sumi lives modestly to leave something behind to care for her girls. [17:00]
Links mentioned in this episode:
Music for this episode was contributed by Daniel Munkus and recorded in the Hudson River Valley at Subtle Soup Studios. For more info, visit: www.subtlesouprecords.com.
Podcast management and creative copy provided by Sonya Louise of GO Solo Travel & Vision Quest.
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