I love my life, with each and everyday, I am shown the many blessings of my life. Blessings of family, blessings of friendships, blessings of hope, blessings of dreams coming true, and blessings of God always watching over me.
Sunday's sermon reminded me of why I pray to God, not for material things, I have never prayed that way, but I pray for guidance. God hasn't failed me, even in the toughest of times. I pray for others to live the way God intended and to find the happiness they are searching for.
My blessings are truly overflowing, I'm forever grateful I can share in my blessings with my family and with others here and around the world.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Korean News Article (in hangul, of course)
‘엄마찾아 삼만리’ 美입양인 한슨 씨
"하루 속히 엄마를 찾아 '어엿하게 성장해 행복하게 살고 있으며 모든 것을 용서한다'는 마음을 전해주고 싶어요."
올해로 여섯번째 한국을 방문, '엄마 찾아 삼만리' 여행을 이어가고 있는 미국 입양인 킴 한슨(41.여) 홀트 인터내셔널(미국) 이사는 4일 연합뉴스와 인터뷰를 갖고 "친모를 찾게되면 맨 처음 하고 싶은 말"에 대해 "날 낳아준 것에(for giving me a life) 감사하다는 마음을 전하고 싶다"고 말했다.
이에 대해 "(버림 받은 것에 대한) '용서(forgiving)' 의미도 담겨있느냐"고 묻자 "엄마를 찾는 이유 중 하나는 이처럼 어엿하게 성장해 행복하며 모든 것을 용서한다는 말을 들려주고 싶어서"라고 말했다.
그는 지난 2일에도 미국 네브래스카주 오마하에 있는 웨스트 커스터머 매니지먼트 그룹 회장인 남편 존 한슨과 세 아이를 데리고 연합뉴스 한민족센터를 방문했었다.
그는 출생 후 5개월 만인 1967년 10월 23일 서울의 한 주택가에 버려졌다가 시립 미아보호소와 서울시 화성영아원 등을 거쳐 1971년 9월 국내의 한 입양기관에 의해 미네소타주의 한 가정에 입양됐으나 1년 만에 양부모의 사정으로 홀트 아동복지회를 통해 딸 하나를 둔 다른 가정(앤더슨家)에 재입양됐다.
한슨 이사는 1989년 네브래스카 주립대(휴먼ㆍ가족서비스 전공) 졸업 후 2006년 홀트 인터내셔널에 입사, 현재 이사로 재직 중이다. 남편과는 1990년에 결혼해 딸 에리카(18.예비대학생), 아들 테일러(15.고2) 외에 98년 한국서 입양한 막내 딸 코라(11.예비중학생) 등 "모두 우등생인" 2녀 1남을 두었다.
그는 오마하의 입양가족들을 위해 공항에 도착하는 아이들을 안내하는 영접인(greeter) 역할을 주로 맡고 있다. 수 년 전에는 자신이 직접 3명의 아이를 미국으로 데려가 양부모에게 인도해주기도 했다.
그는 2005년 한국 홀트의 창립 50주년 기념식 참석차 처음 방한한 이래 해마다 크리스마스 때면 한국을 찾아와 중증 장애인 수용시설인 홀트 일산복지타운에서 자원봉사를 하고 홀트 아동복지회의 위탁모를 위한 송년 파티 등을 열어주기도 한다.
아메리칸 인디언을 연상시키는 구릿빛의 강인한 모습의 그는 지난 날을 회상하며 내내 웃음을 지었지만 얼굴의 한 켠에 드리워진 지워지지 않는 그늘의 깊이까지 감추지는 못했다. 특히 친모를 찾을 수 있는 18세 이후 왜 바로 방한하지 않았느냐고 묻자 감정을 정리하려는 듯 한동안 말을 잇지 못했다.
"경제적인 이유가 컸어요. 여행 경비도 없이 무작정 올 수 없었지요"라고 말하는 그의 눈가에 이슬이 맺힌다. 18세 때 안경점에서 일하던 양부가 세상을 뜨게 되자 전화회사 마케팅부에서 일하던 양모(63.현재 퇴직)가 가정을 꾸려나가느라 어려움이 만만치 않았다고.
"이젠 어떠한 분노의 감정도 남아 있지 않아요. 평생을 죄의식 속에 살아가실지도 모르는 생모의 마음을 편하게 해드리기 위해서라도 엄마 찾기 여행을 멈출 수 없어요. 또 아이들에게 할머니를 비롯한 친척을 소개해 주고, 제가 어떻게 엄마와 헤어지게 됐는지 등에 대해 설명해 주고도 싶고요."
한슨 이사는 이 같은 열망에도 불구, 입양 직전 찍은 사진 외에 자신의 신원에 대한 자료가 거의 없는 데다 입양기관에 보관된 서류상의 이름, 생일 등 출생 또는 기아 등에 대한 기록도 부정확해 뿌리 찾기 작업이 사실상 한계에 봉착하게 되자 마지막 수단으로 언론사를 찾게 됐다고 말했다.
홀트아동복지회 입양가정지원센터의 설은희 사회복지사는 "화성영아원에서 받은 아동조사서의 생년월일(67.5.8)과 이름(김미성)이 사실과 부합하는지 알 수 없고 출생지도 '미상'으로 돼 있다"고 말했다.
그의 가족은 여섯번째 방한에서 이렇다 할 소득을 올리지 못한 채 4일 귀국행 비행기에 올랐다. 하지만 "이번 여행이 무언가 도움이 될 것으로 확신한다"는 큰 딸 에리카 양의 말처럼 그의 가족들은 희망의 끈을 놓지 않고 있다. 이들의 이 같은 확신은 70년대 중반 수많은 TV시청자의 눈물샘을 자극했던 추억의 애니메이션 '엄마 찾아 삼만리'(원작 에드몬도 데아미치스)를 연상시킨다.
어린 소년 마르코가 엄마를 찾겠다는 일념으로 아페니니 산맥(이탈리아)과 안데스 산맥을 넘어 맹수가 득실대는 아르헨티나의 팜파(대평원)를 종단, 끝내 엄마와의 재회에 성공한 것처럼 생모에 대한 사무치는 그리움 병을 앓아 온 한슨 이사도 친모 상봉의 꿈이 이뤄질 때까지 오마하와 서울 간 왕래 여행이 계속될 전망이다. 출생 이후 입양되기까지 4년 반 남짓의 잃어버린 시간을 찾아서.
문의 ☎ 서울 홀트아동복지회'(02-322-8104,8302)
"하루 속히 엄마를 찾아 '어엿하게 성장해 행복하게 살고 있으며 모든 것을 용서한다'는 마음을 전해주고 싶어요."
올해로 여섯번째 한국을 방문, '엄마 찾아 삼만리' 여행을 이어가고 있는 미국 입양인 킴 한슨(41.여) 홀트 인터내셔널(미국) 이사는 4일 연합뉴스와 인터뷰를 갖고 "친모를 찾게되면 맨 처음 하고 싶은 말"에 대해 "날 낳아준 것에(for giving me a life) 감사하다는 마음을 전하고 싶다"고 말했다.
이에 대해 "(버림 받은 것에 대한) '용서(forgiving)' 의미도 담겨있느냐"고 묻자 "엄마를 찾는 이유 중 하나는 이처럼 어엿하게 성장해 행복하며 모든 것을 용서한다는 말을 들려주고 싶어서"라고 말했다.
그는 지난 2일에도 미국 네브래스카주 오마하에 있는 웨스트 커스터머 매니지먼트 그룹 회장인 남편 존 한슨과 세 아이를 데리고 연합뉴스 한민족센터를 방문했었다.
그는 출생 후 5개월 만인 1967년 10월 23일 서울의 한 주택가에 버려졌다가 시립 미아보호소와 서울시 화성영아원 등을 거쳐 1971년 9월 국내의 한 입양기관에 의해 미네소타주의 한 가정에 입양됐으나 1년 만에 양부모의 사정으로 홀트 아동복지회를 통해 딸 하나를 둔 다른 가정(앤더슨家)에 재입양됐다.
한슨 이사는 1989년 네브래스카 주립대(휴먼ㆍ가족서비스 전공) 졸업 후 2006년 홀트 인터내셔널에 입사, 현재 이사로 재직 중이다. 남편과는 1990년에 결혼해 딸 에리카(18.예비대학생), 아들 테일러(15.고2) 외에 98년 한국서 입양한 막내 딸 코라(11.예비중학생) 등 "모두 우등생인" 2녀 1남을 두었다.
그는 오마하의 입양가족들을 위해 공항에 도착하는 아이들을 안내하는 영접인(greeter) 역할을 주로 맡고 있다. 수 년 전에는 자신이 직접 3명의 아이를 미국으로 데려가 양부모에게 인도해주기도 했다.
그는 2005년 한국 홀트의 창립 50주년 기념식 참석차 처음 방한한 이래 해마다 크리스마스 때면 한국을 찾아와 중증 장애인 수용시설인 홀트 일산복지타운에서 자원봉사를 하고 홀트 아동복지회의 위탁모를 위한 송년 파티 등을 열어주기도 한다.
아메리칸 인디언을 연상시키는 구릿빛의 강인한 모습의 그는 지난 날을 회상하며 내내 웃음을 지었지만 얼굴의 한 켠에 드리워진 지워지지 않는 그늘의 깊이까지 감추지는 못했다. 특히 친모를 찾을 수 있는 18세 이후 왜 바로 방한하지 않았느냐고 묻자 감정을 정리하려는 듯 한동안 말을 잇지 못했다.
"경제적인 이유가 컸어요. 여행 경비도 없이 무작정 올 수 없었지요"라고 말하는 그의 눈가에 이슬이 맺힌다. 18세 때 안경점에서 일하던 양부가 세상을 뜨게 되자 전화회사 마케팅부에서 일하던 양모(63.현재 퇴직)가 가정을 꾸려나가느라 어려움이 만만치 않았다고.
"이젠 어떠한 분노의 감정도 남아 있지 않아요. 평생을 죄의식 속에 살아가실지도 모르는 생모의 마음을 편하게 해드리기 위해서라도 엄마 찾기 여행을 멈출 수 없어요. 또 아이들에게 할머니를 비롯한 친척을 소개해 주고, 제가 어떻게 엄마와 헤어지게 됐는지 등에 대해 설명해 주고도 싶고요."
한슨 이사는 이 같은 열망에도 불구, 입양 직전 찍은 사진 외에 자신의 신원에 대한 자료가 거의 없는 데다 입양기관에 보관된 서류상의 이름, 생일 등 출생 또는 기아 등에 대한 기록도 부정확해 뿌리 찾기 작업이 사실상 한계에 봉착하게 되자 마지막 수단으로 언론사를 찾게 됐다고 말했다.
홀트아동복지회 입양가정지원센터의 설은희 사회복지사는 "화성영아원에서 받은 아동조사서의 생년월일(67.5.8)과 이름(김미성)이 사실과 부합하는지 알 수 없고 출생지도 '미상'으로 돼 있다"고 말했다.
그의 가족은 여섯번째 방한에서 이렇다 할 소득을 올리지 못한 채 4일 귀국행 비행기에 올랐다. 하지만 "이번 여행이 무언가 도움이 될 것으로 확신한다"는 큰 딸 에리카 양의 말처럼 그의 가족들은 희망의 끈을 놓지 않고 있다. 이들의 이 같은 확신은 70년대 중반 수많은 TV시청자의 눈물샘을 자극했던 추억의 애니메이션 '엄마 찾아 삼만리'(원작 에드몬도 데아미치스)를 연상시킨다.
어린 소년 마르코가 엄마를 찾겠다는 일념으로 아페니니 산맥(이탈리아)과 안데스 산맥을 넘어 맹수가 득실대는 아르헨티나의 팜파(대평원)를 종단, 끝내 엄마와의 재회에 성공한 것처럼 생모에 대한 사무치는 그리움 병을 앓아 온 한슨 이사도 친모 상봉의 꿈이 이뤄질 때까지 오마하와 서울 간 왕래 여행이 계속될 전망이다. 출생 이후 입양되기까지 4년 반 남짓의 잃어버린 시간을 찾아서.
문의 ☎ 서울 홀트아동복지회'(02-322-8104,8302)
My Journey Continues...
I have met a lot of people in my 42 years of life and each one has a very special place in my heart, no matter if I have known them for a lifetime, or if I have briefly talked to them.
Two years ago, I think, I met a friend of a friend and invited her to my table at our Omaha Holt auction. This friend offered to help me in anyway to help with my birth search(she is Korean). So I have not spoken with her for almost two years and lo and behold, I received an email from her last night and she sends me the news article from when I was in Korea in July. Amazing she would read an article about me online on the Korean news and I hadn't told her I did an interview.
Mind you, I couldn't read the article since it is written in hangul, but it also included the picture of me from that day. My heart about stopped, reality of it hit and I was so excited to see it, even if it was in hangul, which I think is so pretty in print.
I tried online translators, but it just doesn't translate the same, it's quite funny reading it. So now I wait for my connections to read their emails and translate it for me. I want to post the article on here, but I need to get permission from the reporter first, so hang in there with me on this roller coaster journey of mine!
Two years ago, I think, I met a friend of a friend and invited her to my table at our Omaha Holt auction. This friend offered to help me in anyway to help with my birth search(she is Korean). So I have not spoken with her for almost two years and lo and behold, I received an email from her last night and she sends me the news article from when I was in Korea in July. Amazing she would read an article about me online on the Korean news and I hadn't told her I did an interview.
Mind you, I couldn't read the article since it is written in hangul, but it also included the picture of me from that day. My heart about stopped, reality of it hit and I was so excited to see it, even if it was in hangul, which I think is so pretty in print.
I tried online translators, but it just doesn't translate the same, it's quite funny reading it. So now I wait for my connections to read their emails and translate it for me. I want to post the article on here, but I need to get permission from the reporter first, so hang in there with me on this roller coaster journey of mine!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Catching up with reality
Does one ever catch up? I think so, but being gone for two weeks takes a little longer to get back on track. There is so much going on in my mind; great memories of the trip; arranging schedules again; preparing to move, not my favorite thing to do, but the new house will be so worth it!
I didn't have much time to blog while in Korea. Mostly because of the hectic and full schedules and other times due to the lack of internet in the rooms. Being in a different hotel three days in a row didn't help either.
Overall, I loved the trip, it was an amazing journey. I was very proud to have shared it with my family and share it with great friends. My youngest daughter surprised me on one special occasion. We visited an unwed mother's shelter. I've done this in the past and shed many, many tears. I wasn't sure how my daughter would handle this situation, but she surprised me. After the Q&A, we were able to hug the mothers, as they were also crying throughout the meeting. To my surprise, my daughter was front and center to hug the mothers. More tears were shed as the mothers hugged her. We went to the bus and were told some of the mothers wanted to say goodbye one more time so my daughter and I got off the bus to say our goodbyes one more time. One mother, she was to deliver the very next day, so when she hugged my daughter, she was sobbing. How heartbreaking to see this as a parent. I cried with the mothers as I hugged them goodbye.
Driving away, the mothers were still crying as was I. Such a draining time, for as an adoptee myself, I cry for my own birth mother for her loss and I cry for my daughter's birth mother. Someday, I hope to meet my birth mother to let her know I love her for giving me life and I hope someday my daughter will meet her birth mother to give her a sense of peace. For without peace, I am not sure one can truly live life to the fullest.
So many other amazing stories on this trip of adoptees meeting their foster parents and some meeting their birth families. I am so pleased to know that this can occur for adoptees and birth families. All of these stories are very personal and it is up to the individual to share their stories if they so choose, as this is our story, our journey, our lives. My wish, however, is that adoptees will share their stories as you never know who it will touch. We all have important messages to tell. As always, I ask my daughter for permission to tell her story and what we found out on our trip.
Back to reality, yes and no. My mind is still foggy and my heart is still in Korea.
I didn't have much time to blog while in Korea. Mostly because of the hectic and full schedules and other times due to the lack of internet in the rooms. Being in a different hotel three days in a row didn't help either.
Overall, I loved the trip, it was an amazing journey. I was very proud to have shared it with my family and share it with great friends. My youngest daughter surprised me on one special occasion. We visited an unwed mother's shelter. I've done this in the past and shed many, many tears. I wasn't sure how my daughter would handle this situation, but she surprised me. After the Q&A, we were able to hug the mothers, as they were also crying throughout the meeting. To my surprise, my daughter was front and center to hug the mothers. More tears were shed as the mothers hugged her. We went to the bus and were told some of the mothers wanted to say goodbye one more time so my daughter and I got off the bus to say our goodbyes one more time. One mother, she was to deliver the very next day, so when she hugged my daughter, she was sobbing. How heartbreaking to see this as a parent. I cried with the mothers as I hugged them goodbye.
Driving away, the mothers were still crying as was I. Such a draining time, for as an adoptee myself, I cry for my own birth mother for her loss and I cry for my daughter's birth mother. Someday, I hope to meet my birth mother to let her know I love her for giving me life and I hope someday my daughter will meet her birth mother to give her a sense of peace. For without peace, I am not sure one can truly live life to the fullest.
So many other amazing stories on this trip of adoptees meeting their foster parents and some meeting their birth families. I am so pleased to know that this can occur for adoptees and birth families. All of these stories are very personal and it is up to the individual to share their stories if they so choose, as this is our story, our journey, our lives. My wish, however, is that adoptees will share their stories as you never know who it will touch. We all have important messages to tell. As always, I ask my daughter for permission to tell her story and what we found out on our trip.
Back to reality, yes and no. My mind is still foggy and my heart is still in Korea.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Exhausted and Exhilirated
I never seem to feel rested when I am in Korea. Guess that is due to such a busy and packed schedule. One time, I will need to come to Korea to do absolutely nothing. But then again, I love interacting with everyone that is in the group. I have made some life long friends from my trips here and cherish every memory I have from my trips.
Today was the day the adoptees became honorary citizens of Korea from the Mapogu District. I went thru this ceremony in the summer of 2006. It was wonderful to see my youngest daughter get up on stage and receive this honor. She was very cute, as usual. Taking pictures of all the adoptees at one time was like being in front of the paparazzi. Our tour group shared the ceremony with a tour group from Denmark. It still amazes me to hear the thick accent coming from a Korean adoptee.
Prior to the ceremony, we stopped to tour the World Cup Soccer Stadium. I think Taylor, Erika and Skip enjoyed this little stop. It is pretty awesome to see in person. I had seen it on my very first trip in 2005 and I even took the subway all by myself!
Our tour after lunch was a visit to Ilsan. It was pouring rain so it wasn't looking too nice for the tour, but our's would be cut short anyway, as my family had to leave 30 minutes after our arrival to go to the interview. We did manage a family picture at Harry and Bertha Holt's graves though, that was my one request on our short visit there and also to shop at the gift shop. Which I did manage to buy a very pretty vase from there! I haven't done much shopping here since we've been here! I did manage a half hour of shopping though before dinner and found my Korean gong I wanted, I was so thrilled to have found it at my vendor's!! I'm still giddy over it!
Back to the interview. Guess it wasn't a tv interview, but more of a press interview for an ad in the newspaper for my birth family search. No preparation on my part, I just agreed to do one since one was set up for me. I answered questions asked by the reporter as he video taped it. Holt had given them my adoption information already. My family and I answered questions regarding our feelings traveling to Korea and how my family felt about me doing my birth search. Amazingly, I was very calm throughout the entire interview.
The only thing that kind of threw me for a loop was when he asked if I would like to give a video message to my birth mother. Yikes, I wasn't prepared to do that, but I did. I looked into the camera and said, "To my birth mother, if there is a chance to meet you in person, I would love the chance to do so. I wanted to be able to thank you in person for giving me life, for without my life, I would not have my family you see behind me. I do not have any anger or resentment towards you for the circumstances surrounding my birth. The decision you made to do what you did, I can understand and I am grateful for the life and opportunity I had in the United States. I would like to have a relationship with you and also with any other family members. I would like my family and children to be able to have the opportunity to have you in their lives as well. I will continue to travel to Korea and I hope someday, I will be able to meet you on one of those travels."
What will become of this ad, I don't know and I don't have any expectations. I just know this was the only method for me at this point in my search. I feel calm and at peace with how my journey is going. There is no script for life no matter how you came to be and there is no script for how one is to feel during certain life moments. All I know is that life is too short and I do truly try to live each moment as it comes and not worry about the little things in life. Whatever comes my way, I know I can handle it.
Today was the day the adoptees became honorary citizens of Korea from the Mapogu District. I went thru this ceremony in the summer of 2006. It was wonderful to see my youngest daughter get up on stage and receive this honor. She was very cute, as usual. Taking pictures of all the adoptees at one time was like being in front of the paparazzi. Our tour group shared the ceremony with a tour group from Denmark. It still amazes me to hear the thick accent coming from a Korean adoptee.
Prior to the ceremony, we stopped to tour the World Cup Soccer Stadium. I think Taylor, Erika and Skip enjoyed this little stop. It is pretty awesome to see in person. I had seen it on my very first trip in 2005 and I even took the subway all by myself!
Our tour after lunch was a visit to Ilsan. It was pouring rain so it wasn't looking too nice for the tour, but our's would be cut short anyway, as my family had to leave 30 minutes after our arrival to go to the interview. We did manage a family picture at Harry and Bertha Holt's graves though, that was my one request on our short visit there and also to shop at the gift shop. Which I did manage to buy a very pretty vase from there! I haven't done much shopping here since we've been here! I did manage a half hour of shopping though before dinner and found my Korean gong I wanted, I was so thrilled to have found it at my vendor's!! I'm still giddy over it!
Back to the interview. Guess it wasn't a tv interview, but more of a press interview for an ad in the newspaper for my birth family search. No preparation on my part, I just agreed to do one since one was set up for me. I answered questions asked by the reporter as he video taped it. Holt had given them my adoption information already. My family and I answered questions regarding our feelings traveling to Korea and how my family felt about me doing my birth search. Amazingly, I was very calm throughout the entire interview.
The only thing that kind of threw me for a loop was when he asked if I would like to give a video message to my birth mother. Yikes, I wasn't prepared to do that, but I did. I looked into the camera and said, "To my birth mother, if there is a chance to meet you in person, I would love the chance to do so. I wanted to be able to thank you in person for giving me life, for without my life, I would not have my family you see behind me. I do not have any anger or resentment towards you for the circumstances surrounding my birth. The decision you made to do what you did, I can understand and I am grateful for the life and opportunity I had in the United States. I would like to have a relationship with you and also with any other family members. I would like my family and children to be able to have the opportunity to have you in their lives as well. I will continue to travel to Korea and I hope someday, I will be able to meet you on one of those travels."
What will become of this ad, I don't know and I don't have any expectations. I just know this was the only method for me at this point in my search. I feel calm and at peace with how my journey is going. There is no script for life no matter how you came to be and there is no script for how one is to feel during certain life moments. All I know is that life is too short and I do truly try to live each moment as it comes and not worry about the little things in life. Whatever comes my way, I know I can handle it.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Busy doesn't even cover it!
Anyone reading my blog can probably tell I have been way too busy to blog about my trip. It's a jam packed schedule! I'm so far behind on blogging, everything is blending together and I can't seem to remember the order of events. Oh well, I will try my best...
I left off with Kora being sick. Luckily, getting a good night's sleep in the hotel room with a/c helped tremendously! I think it was just motion sickness, the six hour bus ride and walking and the humidity and then the car ride didn't help at all. Thank goodness it was just motion sickness and not what the others have had on this trip.
After our hotel stay, we were off to yet another city, Pusan. Along the way, we visited the temples. Very cool walking up the mountain and looking at the beautiful scenery. You do come out of it feeling more at peace. Once we arrived in Pusan, we were able to walk on the beach. I stayed clean and dry and took pictures of the kids running into the ocean. It's always great being able to see my kids go into the ocean where we are near water, but this time around, how cool was it that they were doing it in S. Korea!
Dinner was great sharing wonderful stories with great friends and new friends. We do laugh a lot in our group, which I love. This trip is so filled with emotions, you have to laugh in order to make it thru. With our group being so big, we are split into two buses so we are having a good time with giving bus #1 a hard time about being the #1 bus when we feel we our bus is #1. Anyway, guess you have to be here to know what it's like. It is a lot of fun.
After dinner, we strolled on the boardwalk with all the kids. We make quite the group when you count in all the kids, we had at least 15 walking with us. It was a very nice walk, but then it was off to bed for us as we had a very early morning the next day ahead of us.
Our second day in Pusan, Skip and I had decided to travel with Kora by ourselves to her birth city. We left at 8am for the 4 hour van ride to Gwangju, pronounced, Kwangju. Taylor and Erika stayed behind with the group to tour the huge fish market. We had a volunteer interpreter with us which is greatly appreciated by all of us on this trip when there is a language barrier. Our interpreter was very nice and spoke English very well. He was very talkative and interested in the United States. We invited him to come visit us and stay with us, hope he is able to do that someday.
We were late for our appointment due to the bad rush hour traffic just getting out of Pusan, but finally arrived at this building in Gwangju. Our driver and translator were not sure where exactly the building was, then Skip and I saw two little Korean ladies with umbrellas waving us into the parking lot. We were at the hospital where Kora was born. One lady was the social worker that helped our Kora's birth mother and the other lady works at the Holt branch office in Gwangju.
We were shown into the office of the current Chief doctor, though he wasn't the Chief doctor at the time Kora was born. So, onto the questions. Skip and I hoped we were ready, but we think we did well for the amount of information we were able to obtain at this time in Kora's life. It's amazing to me the little tid bits of information we take for granted about being born, but with having two birth children, I did know what to ask because we talk about it around the dinner table.
New information we found out, which I find so amazing:
~Kora was born at 10:33am. Now I know all three of my kids were AM babies!
~Kora was named by the social worker that was there with us. She was very proud of that and chose her name because it was a very popular name and named Kora that so she would feel like so many others out there and not feel alone.
~Kora was placed in a foster family 5 hours after being born. Then was placed with a foster family in Seoul July 9th.
We all went out to eat with the ladies then went to our next visit, the unwed mother's shelter that Kora's mother had stayed in. The new information we found out:
~Gwangju is Kora's mother's hometown.
~Kora's mother came into the shelter two months prior to giving birth.
~We met the Director of the shelter and she was the Director when Kora's mother was there and she told us Kora looks like her mother.
~Kora's mother had a normal pregnancy and remained healthy.
~Kora's mother stayed in the shelter for one month after giving birth to Kora.
I am so happy to have this information. It is like finding missing puzzle pieces and being able to complete a little portion of the puzzle. And it amazes me that I am just so thrilled at even the littlest bit of information that may seem so mundane to others. I guess I look at my own past and see that there is no information for me and so I am happy to have this information for Kora. When Kora turns 18 and she wishes to continue with her birth search, she can do it and have this information with her. As her parents, we cannot read her file without Kora's permission when she is 18. I would never read her file anyway regardless of the rules as this is her life and her story and she has the right to do what she wants and when she wants. I wish her well and I do pray that someday, Kora will search for her birth family and that the meeting will be successful for both sides.
After we felt we asked all the questions we could, I asked if any of the mothers that were currently staying there would like to meet me as an adult adoptee and Kora as a younger adoptee. This was not planned so I wasn't sure if any mothers would agree to come see us. Surprisingly, five mothers did come in. Since it was so last minute, they couldn't think of any questions to ask us so I told them that the most popular question I am always asked as an adoptee is if I am and was happy growing up where I did. Of course I was and still am. I also told them that at my age now, I still think about my birth mother and I will be doing my own search to be able to thank my mother for giving me the gift of life and to allow her a sense of peace for the choice she made.
I thought all and all, the meeting went well and the Director gave Kora some gifts that some of the mothers had made while staying there. Kora loved the gifts even though she didn't say much during the visit. I don't blame her, I'm not sure I would fully understand the magnitude of the visit. I know she will appreciate more when she is older.
It was time for us to leave and both ladies gave Kora a hug and Kora then gave the Director of the shelter a hug. Then the social worker hugged Kora again and kept hugging her and began to cry. Of course I got tears in my eyes seeing this exchange. I could feel the love the social worker had for Kora and how it must have felt to see her at age 11 after seeing her only as a newborn. We have some amazing people working for our children that still need a family of their own.
So the total time we were in Gwangju was 2 hours and 15 minutes. So the drive back should get us to Pusan around 6pm...or so we thought. Traffic jam due to a car accident, then we faced the rush hour traffic entering Pusan and it took us 5 1/2 hours to get back to our hotel. Yikes! Thank goodness Kora had a seat to herself in the van so she didn't get carsick this time, she was able to lay down the entire time.
What an emotionally draining day for such a short visit. The long travel was so worth it for me and so happy we made the decision to go. I feel blessed to have all this tid bit of information on Kora. And my story continues also. I found out today I will be doing a tv interview tomorrow for my birth search. Nothing like doing things on a whim! So, that will be my next blog, but I think I need to also catch up on the days I missed along the way. Until then, good night with blessings, hugs, and prayers to all.
I left off with Kora being sick. Luckily, getting a good night's sleep in the hotel room with a/c helped tremendously! I think it was just motion sickness, the six hour bus ride and walking and the humidity and then the car ride didn't help at all. Thank goodness it was just motion sickness and not what the others have had on this trip.
After our hotel stay, we were off to yet another city, Pusan. Along the way, we visited the temples. Very cool walking up the mountain and looking at the beautiful scenery. You do come out of it feeling more at peace. Once we arrived in Pusan, we were able to walk on the beach. I stayed clean and dry and took pictures of the kids running into the ocean. It's always great being able to see my kids go into the ocean where we are near water, but this time around, how cool was it that they were doing it in S. Korea!
Dinner was great sharing wonderful stories with great friends and new friends. We do laugh a lot in our group, which I love. This trip is so filled with emotions, you have to laugh in order to make it thru. With our group being so big, we are split into two buses so we are having a good time with giving bus #1 a hard time about being the #1 bus when we feel we our bus is #1. Anyway, guess you have to be here to know what it's like. It is a lot of fun.
After dinner, we strolled on the boardwalk with all the kids. We make quite the group when you count in all the kids, we had at least 15 walking with us. It was a very nice walk, but then it was off to bed for us as we had a very early morning the next day ahead of us.
Our second day in Pusan, Skip and I had decided to travel with Kora by ourselves to her birth city. We left at 8am for the 4 hour van ride to Gwangju, pronounced, Kwangju. Taylor and Erika stayed behind with the group to tour the huge fish market. We had a volunteer interpreter with us which is greatly appreciated by all of us on this trip when there is a language barrier. Our interpreter was very nice and spoke English very well. He was very talkative and interested in the United States. We invited him to come visit us and stay with us, hope he is able to do that someday.
We were late for our appointment due to the bad rush hour traffic just getting out of Pusan, but finally arrived at this building in Gwangju. Our driver and translator were not sure where exactly the building was, then Skip and I saw two little Korean ladies with umbrellas waving us into the parking lot. We were at the hospital where Kora was born. One lady was the social worker that helped our Kora's birth mother and the other lady works at the Holt branch office in Gwangju.
We were shown into the office of the current Chief doctor, though he wasn't the Chief doctor at the time Kora was born. So, onto the questions. Skip and I hoped we were ready, but we think we did well for the amount of information we were able to obtain at this time in Kora's life. It's amazing to me the little tid bits of information we take for granted about being born, but with having two birth children, I did know what to ask because we talk about it around the dinner table.
New information we found out, which I find so amazing:
~Kora was born at 10:33am. Now I know all three of my kids were AM babies!
~Kora was named by the social worker that was there with us. She was very proud of that and chose her name because it was a very popular name and named Kora that so she would feel like so many others out there and not feel alone.
~Kora was placed in a foster family 5 hours after being born. Then was placed with a foster family in Seoul July 9th.
We all went out to eat with the ladies then went to our next visit, the unwed mother's shelter that Kora's mother had stayed in. The new information we found out:
~Gwangju is Kora's mother's hometown.
~Kora's mother came into the shelter two months prior to giving birth.
~We met the Director of the shelter and she was the Director when Kora's mother was there and she told us Kora looks like her mother.
~Kora's mother had a normal pregnancy and remained healthy.
~Kora's mother stayed in the shelter for one month after giving birth to Kora.
I am so happy to have this information. It is like finding missing puzzle pieces and being able to complete a little portion of the puzzle. And it amazes me that I am just so thrilled at even the littlest bit of information that may seem so mundane to others. I guess I look at my own past and see that there is no information for me and so I am happy to have this information for Kora. When Kora turns 18 and she wishes to continue with her birth search, she can do it and have this information with her. As her parents, we cannot read her file without Kora's permission when she is 18. I would never read her file anyway regardless of the rules as this is her life and her story and she has the right to do what she wants and when she wants. I wish her well and I do pray that someday, Kora will search for her birth family and that the meeting will be successful for both sides.
After we felt we asked all the questions we could, I asked if any of the mothers that were currently staying there would like to meet me as an adult adoptee and Kora as a younger adoptee. This was not planned so I wasn't sure if any mothers would agree to come see us. Surprisingly, five mothers did come in. Since it was so last minute, they couldn't think of any questions to ask us so I told them that the most popular question I am always asked as an adoptee is if I am and was happy growing up where I did. Of course I was and still am. I also told them that at my age now, I still think about my birth mother and I will be doing my own search to be able to thank my mother for giving me the gift of life and to allow her a sense of peace for the choice she made.
I thought all and all, the meeting went well and the Director gave Kora some gifts that some of the mothers had made while staying there. Kora loved the gifts even though she didn't say much during the visit. I don't blame her, I'm not sure I would fully understand the magnitude of the visit. I know she will appreciate more when she is older.
It was time for us to leave and both ladies gave Kora a hug and Kora then gave the Director of the shelter a hug. Then the social worker hugged Kora again and kept hugging her and began to cry. Of course I got tears in my eyes seeing this exchange. I could feel the love the social worker had for Kora and how it must have felt to see her at age 11 after seeing her only as a newborn. We have some amazing people working for our children that still need a family of their own.
So the total time we were in Gwangju was 2 hours and 15 minutes. So the drive back should get us to Pusan around 6pm...or so we thought. Traffic jam due to a car accident, then we faced the rush hour traffic entering Pusan and it took us 5 1/2 hours to get back to our hotel. Yikes! Thank goodness Kora had a seat to herself in the van so she didn't get carsick this time, she was able to lay down the entire time.
What an emotionally draining day for such a short visit. The long travel was so worth it for me and so happy we made the decision to go. I feel blessed to have all this tid bit of information on Kora. And my story continues also. I found out today I will be doing a tv interview tomorrow for my birth search. Nothing like doing things on a whim! So, that will be my next blog, but I think I need to also catch up on the days I missed along the way. Until then, good night with blessings, hugs, and prayers to all.
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