In this blog post, I recall memories of my firm but warm father and reflect on the attitude toward life and the meaning of love that I learned from him.

My father’s message

At the beginning of my first year of high school, I lost my new cell phone. It was a huge shock to me, and it was enough to throw me into a whirlwind of emotions, including anger, frustration, and embarrassment. In my desperation, I asked my father for help, but as I expected, his answer was a firm “no.” No matter how eagerly I waited, all I received was a single email.

Dear ○○! I know you’re having a hard time. It must be frustrating not to have your cell phone. I hope this will teach you to take better care of your belongings. Think about it. It’s a shame to lose 600,000 won, but if you learn a valuable lesson that will last a lifetime, it’s worth it, isn’t it? ^^ P.S. However, you have to solve this problem on your own.

My father’s firm attitude, which seemed to accept my desperate situation without concern, felt even more cruel that day. However, despite my disappointment, I was suddenly surprised by my father’s positive outlook on the situation and the lesson he taught me. Unlike me, who was overwhelmed by my emotions, my father was a person who put reason before emotion and guided me on the path to growth.
In the end, I had to pay off a considerable amount of installments over 18 months, but the lessons I learned through that process became a priceless asset. I now know that everything I learned, such as how to take responsibility for myself and how to rebuild what I have lost instead of blaming others, started with one incident of losing my cell phone.
There is another memory. It was also in my first year of high school.
I had spent all my allowance without planning, and I didn’t have a single coin left in my wallet. That day, I was so distressed that I felt like crying, but my pride prevented me from telling my friends. In the end, my last resort was my father. With trembling hands, I carefully made a call and asked for his help. However, my father was firm. I held the phone and vented my childish anger for a long time.
The next morning, I checked my phone and found a long text message from my father.

My wonderful son!
You know how much I love you, right? I was upset because I was worried about you not learning to be thrifty and careful with money. Don’t be too disappointed.
Once you develop the habit of being thrifty and saving money, you will naturally accumulate wealth. When you show me that you have learned this lesson, I will gladly give you plenty of money. I believe that although it may be difficult now, you will soon learn how to live a wealthy life. You are a smart boy.
I am also heavy-hearted. However, once you pass through this gate, another beautiful world will be waiting for you. I love you, ○○!

That day, I shed tears whose meaning I did not understand. It was not a simple outburst of emotion, but rather a realization of the weight and depth of love.
When I was about to enlist in the military, I had very negative thoughts about the army. My friends also looked at me skeptically, saying that the military was “two years of your life wasted.” It was my father who gave me a new perspective.
Whenever I complained about military service, my father emphasized “civic duty” and “patriotism” like an old philosopher. At first, his words sounded like something far removed from reality, and I dismissed them as old-fashioned thinking. However, as time passed, I came to understand that my father’s words were not just about loyalty to the country, but about the process of training and changing myself. Thanks to my father’s repeated teachings, I was able to accept military life willingly and spend valuable time reflecting on myself during my service.
My father was a man of strong convictions. Those convictions sometimes felt cold and stubborn to me, and I often felt upset when I compared him to my friends’ parents. But now I understand little by little. My father’s determination was not just stubbornness. It was his earnest love, giving me a compass for life so that I, a young child swayed by my emotions, would not lose my way. It was the result of his silent but intense efforts to help his children realize the principles of life for themselves.
These days, when I talk with my father about the future, I feel excited, like a child listening to a fairy tale. I wait for my father to speak, wondering what words of wisdom he will share with me this time. Of course, sometimes my pride gets in the way, and I find myself unable to fully accept my father’s advice, which makes me feel immature. However, whenever that happens, I find myself in my father’s words, and I am surprised to see my father’s habits reflected in my own thoughts. In this way, as a father and son who are similar yet different, we are gradually coming to understand each other.
And today, as always, a message from my father arrives.

“○○! I hope your life will be a brilliant spring day!”

Today, I think to myself that even at this moment, my father is silently planting the seeds of spring under the rough winter ground so that I may welcome a brilliant spring day.