My cousin and I

Today I spent a wonderful catch up time with my cousin. We are both nearing sixty in age.

We grew up together as children until she was five and I was three and half. That is when her family left to go to US. I remember nothing of those years. I remember the first day I saw her. I was eleven and she was almost thirteen, the first day my family immigrated to US. I remember her telling me of Cinderella musical she loved. She knew all the songs, In my own little Corner and many more. We spent hours being totally in love with being with each other...that is how it seemed to me. She knew no Korean and I knew no English.

We spent portions of every summer together. I looked forward to those times. I could unload all the secrets of my heart; my frustrations, my outlook on life, my aspirations, my fears, and my dreams. I watched her with admiration. English became her native tongue and she fully understood American culture as I was forever trying to catch up in both. We found deep camaraderie in the fact we were caught in Korean parent(s) wishes and hopes according to Korean culture and our desire to be who we are. We compared notes about our parents. We talked about so many things about life. Then college years came and went. We got married and became very busy with our separate lives and we did not see much of each other... few of weddings, my father's funeral, and a family gathering two years ago.

We are both empty-nesters now. We decided that we will meet again and regularly...not too ambitious so it is do-able.

We are the same persons who loved to be with each other. We still communicated as we always did. Yet we changed. We have learned to accept life. Life has a way of twisting and turning and often we cannot see the bend coming up. Accept and flow with it then life can the best it can be.