Contemplating The New Year

Every where I go on the web, the different groups are talking about the Korean New Year. There are parties and get-togethers all across the world. Despite all that, I can’t really get into the spirit of the holiday.

When I see these announcements, I often wonder if any of the adoptees in my son’s generation will feel like I do when I attend these events. Truthfully, I feel a little guilty sometimes that I don’t feel the connection. Nothing changes the fact that I am nothing more than a tourist at these events. I go to lunar new year parties and I am awed by the depth of the culture, but I don’t feel an inclination to make it mine.

Now that my son is in the picture, things have changed. I find myself seeking these events out with more regularity. Before his arrival, I tended to wait until they fell in my lap. After seeing how different I am from my sister, I would never presume that my son will follow in my footsteps. So, I will do my best to make sure he has access to bits and pieces of the Korean culture. If he decides one day the he wants entrench himself in his birth culture, I will be right there with him even though it’s not something that I can share.

I’ve never understood why people think that the Korean culture should be a part of my life just because I was born there. If I had been born in Georgia, but raised in Ohio, no one would expect me to embrace the southern culture. I am always interested in the Korean culture, but I will always be an observer.

Happy New Year OAKs and a great party! I hope that the year of the golden pig brings you all that you wish for. The years will carry us forward and I hope that all parents listen to what their children say. I expect that there will be some more adoptees out there who are like me, but most likely they will be themselves. I think it’s our job as parents to let them find out on their own.