When I step out after washing and stand before the mirror, the comparisons in my family come back to me.
Even after hearing my family compare me to others, their words come back when I step out and look in the mirror.
Scenes
- Even after I wash, the comparisons linger. — On the day my family compared me to others, their words came back when I stepped out and stood before the mirror.
- Comparison starts with one person’s standards. — When family members measure one another by one person’s standards before asking about their different circumstances, comparisons come first.
- I go over those words, even after washing. — When I go over those words in front of the mirror, the standards behind the comparisons and the life I’ve lived are two different stories.
- Start by briefly writing down my circumstances. — Tonight, I’ll write one sentence about what mattered to me when I heard the comparison.
- We need room to hear each other’s circumstances. — When family members talk, they need room to hear about each other’s circumstances before deciding whose standards are right.
Stories by Cheongun
- Cheongun
- At lunch, I want to choose my child’s career path for them.
- After the meeting, the plans and the spur-of-the-moment ideas clash again.
- When we get home from work, the first thing we talk about at the door is caring for our parents.
- As we left the exam room, Mom asked first.
- We put off the decision again while doing the dishes
- I set aside money for my younger sibling from my first paycheck
- It’s hard to tell my parents I’m getting counseling.
- I gave them flowers, but they didn’t say thank you