Before turning the calendar page
On a year-end evening, Minseo can’t settle on a date for next year’s family gathering.
On a year-end evening, Minseo and her younger sibling meet in the counseling room: the sibling wants to set a date for the family gathering, while Minseo finds it hard to decide right away.
On a year-end evening, Minseo’s younger sibling messages her, asking her to choose a date for the family gathering. Minseo opens the calendar but puts off replying, and her sibling posts a date in the family group chat first. In the counseling room, Minseo tells Cheongun about her sibling’s quick decision and her own hesitation. Cheongun says they may not need to move at the same pace; they may just need time to exchange answers. Minseo stays by the calendar, still without choosing a date.
When you need time to decide
When someone’s waiting for an answer, a person who can’t choose right away needs time to think, too.
When someone close to you is waiting for an answer, what’s the first thing you want to say?
The moment lingers: unable to choose a date by the calendar, I find myself rereading my sibling’s message. Looking back, even though we were asking about the same date, one of us was waiting for an answer and the other was looking for time to think. If you’re going through an evening like that, you’re welcome to start by telling me what was said.
Scenes
- 01 · An evening by the calendar Year-end calendar — Minseo turns the last page of the year-end calendar. Her younger sibling asked her to choose a date for the family gathering today.
- 02 · A date posted first A date posted first — Without waiting for an answer, her sibling posts in the family group chat, suggesting Saturday. Minseo reads the message on her phone, then closes the reply box.
- 03 · Hard to choose right away The one waiting for an answer — In the counseling room, Minseo says she still couldn’t answer even after her sibling posted a date first. She adds that choosing a date takes longer than she expects. Minseo: I can’t even pick a date right away. Cheongun: Your sibling was waiting for an answer, and it sounds like you needed time to think, Minseo. What was the first thing that gave you pause?
- 04 · The reply box still empty Time left open — Minseo says she hasn’t replied to her sibling yet. Pointing to the calendar note on the table, Cheongun says it’s okay to say she needs time to think before choosing a date. Cheongun: You need time to think, Minseo, and your sibling is waiting for an answer. Maybe you can put that time into words between you. Minseo: If I say that, it feels like we’ll have to choose a date together too.
Stories by Cheongun
- Cheongun
- When I bring up wanting time alone, my commute gets longer.
- On payday, Dad asked me to pass that along
- At the light, I think of what I want to say to my family.
- At lunch, I want to choose my child’s career path for them.
- When I step out after washing and stand before the mirror, the comparisons in my family come back to me.
- 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.