By Rachel Lee
When women give birth and become mothers, they go through a phase when the world seems a more threatening place than they had realized before.
And one day, an “aha” moment comes and mothers start understanding how their mothers could happily sacrifice their own lives to care for them and give everything they could.
Children do not realise how much love and sacrifice their mothers have given even after they grow up. It is when they actually become a parent themselves, they realize their mother is also a woman who has her own inner life. Mothers also like to sing, dance, dress up and go out just like their kids.
“Portraits of Mom,” written and illustrated by You Ji-yeon, tells the story of a 40-something mother Mi-young, a person who does the work of many for free, including raising children and all the household chores, including laundry, groceries and cooking.
To her children, Mi-young could seem boring as if she does not know how to spend her free time or have any friends or hobbies. Mi-young is just a mother with messy hair and dry hands and lips, and this is the Mi-young her family knows.
The book expresses Mi-young’s love and sacrifices in various settings. For instance, during supper, the head is Mi-young’s favourite part of the fish as written and illustrated in the book, due to its benefits such as higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids. But the question is if the mother only eats that particular part for the nutrition, she would give it to her children.
If problems occur Mi-young is the strongest person to hold back and her kids always rely on her. She helps when her children face emotional or physical problems.
Then the author throws out questions about her true self _ what she would look like in a portrait and what she really has inside her heart.
Inside her heart, Mi-young likes to learn Latin dance on weekends, wear fancy accessories and go shopping. The other side of her might seem unfamiliar to her family though it shows who Mi-young is.
“Portraits of Mom” is designed for children, and it is recommended for grownups and parents who are busy making dreams come true and facing adult life, while also getting older every day.
This publication will give an opportunity to think about the bond between children and parents and a mother’s love and sacrifice for her kids, which cannot be replaced.
Many people long for a mother’s love. Those who have had one should be thankful for their mother who is always with them along the way. (Publisher: Iyagikot)