It’s been about three weeks since my family left for Korea. They stayed in my home for a month during the coldest winter since 1938. They celebrated their first American Christmas and New Years holiday with us. We ate raclette on a Swiss tabletop grill for Christmas and spent 3 nights in Chicago for New Years. My daughter Suzie and my bio-family finally got to meet and spend time together.
We walked to Lake Harriet through the Bird Sanctuary and checked out sculptures on the ice. They asked to see the iconic Cherry Spoon Bridge at the Walker Art Center. We spent a day at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and tried out different restaurants. They ate Mexican food for the first time and liked it. (Although they did not like beans.)
I finally got the chance to cook with my sister. We made several Korean and European dishes together. We bonded while watching Korean movies and dramas. She amazed me with her curiosity, humor, and sweetness. She played with her grandchildren making them laugh and chasing them in the snow. It was fun to see her so full of life. Yet, there were still many things I wanted to do with them before they left.
In the month while they were here I feel we had the chance to get to know each other more intimately. For me, there was a lot of bonding going on by just being together. My sister doted over me at times and teased me about not being strong enough to open a jar or lifting heavy objects. In a way, she still thinks of me as the little girl that she took care of for 5 years when she was a teen. I found out just how wonderful my Korean family is and what a great sense of humor, playfulness and sweetness they have.
Songs of My Families 