Thinking of my mother today on Memorial Day.
I am one of the one of three stupids.
I am proud of my wife a lot and I am also proud of myself.
I’ll brag about it again today.
The day I graduated as the top student among 500 graduates from Hongseong High School.
The principal of Hongseong High School called my name at the church meeting, saying that I had decided to enter Yonsei University School of Medicine after winning the Chungcheongnam-do Governor’s Award.
At that time, my father came to the graduation ceremony, but my mother could not.
To this day, I still regret not being able to attend my mother when I was praised at the graduation ceremony for being the valedictorian and receiving the Chungcheongnam Province provincial award.
My mother gave birth to me and raised me in a thatched-roof house in the island village of Anmyeondo Island. She sent me to elementary, middle, and high school to study.
She always suffered from incurable heart disease.
In addition, she gave birth to nine sons and daughters, raised them, and farmed.
After that, she made me a doctor and American pediatrician.
Needless to say, she was a great mother to me.
Today, on Memorial Day, I thought about my mother a lot while going to the hospital.
The day I graduated from Hongseong High School, I couldn’t bring my mother to the graduation ceremony.
If my mother had come to the graduation ceremony then, she would have done this.
The principal loudly called Lee Sang-won and ordered him to come up to the podium and gave him a diploma and a certificate from the governor of South Chungcheong Province. As soon as he received the certificate, he brought his mother and father, who were wearing shabby farm uniforms and red skirts, to the high-ranking principal, who was sitting in a corner of the graduation hall. I will go up and give my mother the award and diploma I received in front of everyone present that day, and then I will kiss my mother’s face, hug her, and thank her. And I will turn right around and do the same to her father.
In front of the 1,500 Hong High School students who participated in the graduation ceremony, and in front of all Hong High School teachers, in front of the Hongseong County Governor, the police chief, and officials from Hongseong County, Seosan County, Dangjin County, Seocheon County, Boryeong County, Yesan County, and Cheongnyang County.
Thank you, mom and dad, and thank you to my wife who went first.
On Memorial Day, I went to my mom, dad, and wife graves.