Parantal Love

            
             The Korean proverb says when you have at least three children you can understand your parents' love. When I was young, I couldn't understand this proverb, but now, I can understand my parents and realize their love because I am a mom with three children.
             When I was expecting my first child, I was truly happy. Everyday I talked to my unborn child and let my baby listen to music or story. I had severe morning sickness, but I could tolerate. As the due date got closer, every movement took a great deal of effort. Finally when I had labor, the pain was terrible beyond expression. However, when I held my first daughter, Jennifer, after delivery, the pain was dismissed. At that moment, I thanked my mother because she had the same pain as mine. Until that time, I thought that my parents were always old and parents. I thought they never had youth. I took it for granted that my parents gave me love, education, wealth, and many other things. But, when I had my first daughter I was still young. The only thing I could give to her was love.
             As she grew older, my husband and I fell in love with her smile, voice, hair, laugh, and even her toes. When she spoke her first word " mom," my husband tried to teach her to say "dad". When she took a step, we were surprised and proud of her. When she was sick, I couldn't sleep because I was so worried about her. I woke up every two hours to check up on her condition during the night. I used to be a sleepyhead until I had a daughter. One day, I slept over twelve hours. But now, I sleep only six hours and I can't have deep sleep. Whenever I couldn't have good sleep because of my children, I thought that my parents couldn't have it either because of me. I realized how much my parents loved me.
             When my first daughter was two year old, I had my son, Ryan. He gave me different experiences than those I had with Jennifer. Most Korean people prefer a son. Many women have been divorced because they couldn't deliver a son.