My parents met during the latter part of their college years in Seoul. Although they went to different schools, they say they had both heard of each other and finally had the chance to meet. My mom was a very well-known and respected fan dancer and drummer. Fan dancing and drumming are a big part of traditional Korean culture. She was also quite smart and graduated at the top of her college class. My dad was well-known in his own right. He was a professional baseball player and everyone knew him back then for his athletic abilities. They fell in love and married in May of 1967. They had my older brother, Richard in 1969 and me, shortly after.Some of our relatives from my mom's side had already made the move to the U.S. so my parents decided to bring our family here as well. Back then, pro ball players did not make the kind of money they make today. Although we lived in Seoul, the city was not as industrialized and modern as you see it today. My parents came here to the U.S. to give us more opportunities. Mom was 30 years old when she came here and dad was 32. I remember my parents worked very hard all of their lives to support us. My dad owned businesses like restaurants and printing shops. He also worked as a machinist for most of his career. My mom became a computer analyst and worked for British Petroleum (BP) for over 25 years before retiring in her mid-50's, due to cancer. She also spent much of her life teaching traditional Korean dance, and still does today, on occasion. Mom is also responsible for opening several Korean language schools here in Southern California. Kids of all ages would come on the weekends to learn the language, more about the culture, traditional Korean dance, and Tae Kwon Do (Korean martial arts). Mom was invited back to Seoul several years ago at the request of her college alma mater. The college was celebrating its 150th anniversary and honored her as the, "Woman of the Year."
Today, my dad still works and is planning to retire soon. Mom has had two bouts with cancer in the last 17 years but she is a strong survivor and leads a very active, retired life today. My parents have been married now for almost 40 years and they seem to really be enjoying this season of their lives together. They have been wonderful parents and I thank God for them.
I have so many special memories as a child with my family. It could not have been easy to come to a foreign country (without knowing the language) and work tirelessly to support our family. I appreciate them tremendously and can't wait for them to experience all the joys of being grandparents for the first time.
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