Define Change for me Because I Can’t
My Appa, opening the black metal garden gate, escorted me into the pathways that stretched East to West across the Mississauga hearty evergreen groves. The trees held the woodland creatures hostage during the heavy winters and fostered them during the pollen-sprung spring. And summer was coming: that meant it was soon time for the sun’s rays to stretch out, touching the tips of the flora. For me, summer meant my time in Canada was coming to an close. And walking towards the gate and searching for my Appa’s eyes, I felt scared. He looked away with words lingering in the back of his throat refusing to come out.
My father is the most caring and thoughtful person that I know. The way he carefully crafts his words and phrases in order that the listener will be at peace yet still deliver his thoughts clearly is an artisanal craft that I know he has been passed down to me — a life lesson and treasure that I am thankful for. Still, his mouth did not have enough courage to utter the few necessary words his 12 year old daughter needed to hear.
“Your Umma and I know that you’re going to miss home a lot, and we are so certain that you’re going to love it in Korea,” he finally muttered.
I stopped my feet.
Breathe it all in, Lily. This is it.
***
