Life’s Lessons: Mother’s sacrifice

My mom had only one eye. She came to my school one day. I was so embarrassed. The next day everyone at school taunted me. I wished she would just disappear from the world. “Mom, why don’t you have the other eye?! You’re only going to make me a laughing stock. Why don’t you just die?” I said. My mom kept mum. That night I found my mom crying in the kitchen. I felt a pinching pain in my heart. 

I came to Seoul University for higher studies. I got married, had kids. I had an unexpected visitor one day. My mom. My little girl ran away, scared of my mom’s eye. I screamed at her, “How dare you come to my house and scare my daughter! Get out of here now!!” She left. I went down to my old house one day and found my mother lying dead. But I did not shed a single tear. She had a piece of paper in her hand. It was a letter for me. My son, I miss you so much. I’m sorry that I only have one eye, and I was an embarrassment for you. You see, when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. I couldn’t stand watching you having to grow up with only one eye, so, I gave you mine. I was never upset at you for anything you did. I miss the times when you were still young. I love you. You mean the world to me. I cried for my mother, I didn’t know of any way that could make up for my deeds.

Moral: Never hate anyone for their disabilities. Never disrespect your parents. They never wish unwell for their kids even in their wildest dreams. All we can do is give them love and respect.