Miss Marilyn
“Welcome to my home!”, “Is that you, Jieun?” She welcomed me with a resounding voice and big smile showing her every tooth. It was my first encounter with my homestay mom when I went to Canada. She looked very vibrant and nice that she moved my heavy luggage to my room in the basement. I had worried about what it would be like to do homestay, so her appearance like that made me really relaxed.
After she made my dinner, she showed her home. It was not really big house, but there were many cute and congenial decorations, and above all, my room was very clean and filled with very high bed, two desks, and big mirror. Whenever she showed places, she taught me a few rules I had to follow. She was really nice woman and along with it, she was the person who followed some rules that needed thoroughly. I had to get rid of any water in the bathroom after taking a shower, and after 9 o’clock, I had to try not to make a sound.
She was really diligent woman I had ever seen. Even though she was over sixty, she woke up every morning at five o’clock and went to her restaurant. It was impressed with that because she worked just as young person did. Despite her busy schedule, sometimes, she invited her patrons or her friends became who her friends in the church. She didn’t prepare really special foods for them, but she comforted them with sincere words, and made them relaxed. At first, I thought that they came to her just because she was older than them.
She was also very positive person. When I worried about not booking bus ticket in advance before departure date for my travel, and I had a bad voice because of bad cold at the first day of new semester, she always said other aspects. “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be alright. There is God’s reason for that.” She said there are always reasons for everything, so she advised me not to worry and be relaxed. Strangely, when I heard her comfort, my mind became very comfortable.
One day, I asked her. “Marilyn, you always look calm. Don’t you worry about anything?” she started to answer with her own tranquil voice. “I have many worries just like everyone.” It made me a little bit shocked. I always thought that she was different from normal people. She seemed not to have any worry. She said that she just tried not to think about them. “There are a lot of problems for everyone, but there’s nothing we can do. I just pray and promise that I won’t worry.” This conversation reminded me of simple but true thing. My life will direct me just the way I decide.
The other day, I was watching sermon video with Marilyn. The topic was about how people get over hard times. Even though I listened what I have to do, I was just focusing on what if I would be hard. I was just afraid of what didn’t even come yet. I also asked her about this. She started to tell her heartbroken story. I didn’t ask her where her husband was until then. She got divorced to her husband a few years ago. She was living with her husband for over forty years. However, all of a sudden, he said he fell in love with another woman.
“How could he do that?” I got emotional and little bit angry although it was none of my business. She said she couldn’t even breathe and she wanted to die because it seemed that there was nothing. She seemed that she already got over it before, but she told me how hard she was. She was so desperate and she did nothing but cry all day long. In that moment, her saying that there is nothing we can do came to my mind. “I was suffering so tough times. I depended on just God. I’m still trying to move on.” I could at least recognize her sorrow at that time on her face. Besides, I was impressed with her way of living afterwards.
Afterwards, some people who were suffering hard times about same problem came to her. They told her their concerns, and how hard they were, and asked of how to recover it. Whenever they did, she heard their stories with her genuine attention and gave sincere advice to them. Then, I could get why people came to her house with their concerns hard to tell.
Although Marilyn suffered really tough time, and she was still trying to get over, she was helping other people who had same pain rather than keeping blaming for her husband. She became the place grieving people wanted to reach. Her words, tear, and prays for them were the best consolation.
I got from her is the way she lived. I am really sorry about her marriage. However, I learned from that. I think there will be tough moment in my life, too. I’ve got through certain tough moments of course so far. But something could happen more than those that will stop me from breathing, so I can’t help crying countless days. I can’t say I will recover and move forward right after that moment. Because I am sure I will be grieving and I will need some comfort from someone like Marilyn. However, afterwards, I will not stop from that. I will move on, and just as she helped other people, not just for herself, I will do that.
1. she was the person who followed some rules that needed thoroughly.
ReplyDelete2. Whenever she showed places, she taught me a few rules I had to follow. I had to get rid of any water in the bathroom after taking a shower, and after 9 o’clock, I had to try not to make a sound.
Even though she was over sixty, she woke up every morning at five o’clock and went to her restaurant.
3
What the person says: “I was suffering so tough times. I depended on just God. I’m still trying to move on.”
What the person does: works at a restaurant
5. Because the writer learned something important from her: there could be something harsh, but the writer would get over it and carry on.
6. I am just wondering how Marilyn looks like. Sometimes, describing someone's appearance gives me an idea of what the person is like.
1. She is the place for those grieving people around her and her words, tear, and prays for them are the best consolation.
ReplyDelete2.
- When I worried about not booking bus ticket in advance before departure date for my travel, and I had a bad voice because of bad cold at the first day of new semester, she always said other aspects. “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be alright. There is God’s reason for that.” She said there are always reasons for everything, so she advised me not to worry and be relaxed. Strangely, when I heard her comfort, my mind became very comfortable.
- Afterwards, some people who were suffering hard times about same problem came to her. They told her their concerns, and how hard they were, and asked of how to recover it. Whenever they did, she heard their stories with her genuine attention and gave sincere advice to them.
- However, afterwards, I will not stop from that. I will move on, and just as she helped other people, not just for herself, I will do that.
3.
* What the person looks like :
- She welcomed me with a resounding voice and big smile showing her every tooth. She looked very vibrant and nice that she moved my heavy luggage to my room in the basement. I had worried about what it would be like to do homestay, so her appearance like that made me really relaxed.
* What the person says :
- She said that she just tried not to think about them. “There are a lot of problems for everyone, but there’s nothing we can do. I just pray and promise that I won’t worry.”
* What the person does :
- Even though she was over sixty, she woke up every morning at five o’clock and went to her restaurant. It was impressed with that because she worked just as young person did. Despite her busy schedule, sometimes, she invited her patrons or her friends became who her friends in the church.
* What other people say about the person :
- None, I guess. I think there are some implicit sentences that might be spoken out from other people but there is no direct one, as careful as I've read her writing.
4. Nothing in particular, except for her and her homestay mother being 'hard' part. It might be an improvement for itself, if she somehow adjust relevant sentences more clearly, what and this made whom feel as if to suffer.
5. I guess she somehow, with some aims, that are going to be helpful for her writing, decided to describe one of a group which consists of her life mentors, to indicate from whom exactly one of her most important features in life was influenced. It kind of appealed at least, me, very much and I really like this one.
6.
- Were there also some troubles as you and her living together and also any resolutions for it to be fixed up?
- I want to know how others surrounding you and her think or say about her like in details!
ch3 Final draft_Jieun Lee
ReplyDeleteMiss Marilyn
“Welcome to my home! Is that you, Jieun?” She welcomed me with a resounding voice and big smile showing her every tooth. She asked me if I was starving or not, moving my heavy luggage to my room in the basement. It was my first encounter with my homestay mom, Marilyn when I went to Canada last year. Until I arrived at my homestay house, I had been a little bit nervous, and expecting what it would be like to do homestay. Therefore, her vibrant and smiling impression made me relaxed, and I started to expect my life in Canada.
After she and I moved my suitcases, we went upstairs. She started to make my sandwich, and I looked around her house. Every wall of her kitchen was decorated with old dishes painted colorfully with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The living room was furnished with two soft sofas, and classic lamps emitting orange shine. It was not really big house, but there were many cute and congenial decorations. This interior design style seemed to reflect her warm personality.
After eating supper, she showed everywhere in the house, and she taught me a few rules I had to follow. She required me not to make a sound after 9 o’clock, and get rid of any water in the bathroom after taking a shower. She was really nice and warm woman and along with it, she was the person who followed some rules thoroughly. It was not easy to follow all rules perfectly because her lifestyle was different from what I used to. However, she always explained to me why I had to rather than only telling me what I had to follow. Therefore, I was able to understand and tried to keep all rules. As time went by, I started to adjust to most rules, and she became satisfied with my behavior.
She was really diligent woman I had ever seen. Even though she was over sixty, she woke up every morning at five o’clock and went to her restaurant before the sunrise. From her youth, she worked hard for a living with her former husband. She used to drive a huge truck and work as a cashier at Superstore which is one of the biggest markets in Canada. Also, sometimes, despite her busy schedule, she invited her patrons or her friends. Even though she didn’t prepare really special foods for them, her friends were comforted by her sincere words through those times. Usually, her friends and she had conversations in the living room after supper time. From time to time, they cried a lot, telling their stories, and asked her for advice. At first, I thought that they came to her just because she was older than them.
ReplyDeleteShe was also very positive person. I couldn’t understand how she could have that kind of attitude because she had to work very hard in order to earn her family’s living all the time, and she had suffered painful divorce a few years ago. However, I felt real inner strength and positive energy rather than sorrow from her. At the first day of new semester, my voice was badly hoarse from a bad cold. I was really depressed because I wanted to say hello with many classmates. However, my bad voice didn’t allow me to do that. When I was gloomy, she came to me and asked me why I looked sad. After listening to my reason, she said with different aspect. “Don’t worry. It’s gonna be alright. There must be God’s reason for that.” She said there were always reasons for everything, so she advised me not to worry and be relaxed. Even though I couldn’t find God’s reason, strangely, my mind became very comfortable when I heard her comfort.
One day, I asked her. “Marilyn, you always look calm. Don’t you worry about anything?” she started to answer with her own tranquil voice. “I have many worries just like everyone.” It made me a little bit shocked. I always thought that she was different from other people. She seemed not to have any worry. She said that she just tried not to think about her worries. “There are a lot of problems for everyone, but there’s nothing we can do. I just pray and promise that I won’t worry.” This conversation reminded me of simple but true thing. My life directs me just the way I decide.
ReplyDeleteThe other day, I was watching sermon video with Marilyn. The topic was about how people get over hard times. Even though the pastor spoke about the ways to deal with our sorrow and difficulties, I was just focusing on worrying about my hardship in the future. I was just afraid of what didn’t even come yet. I also asked her if she experienced or dealt with very tough moments. She started to tell her heartbroken story. A few years ago, she got divorced to her husband. She was living with her husband for over forty years. However, all of a sudden, he said he fell in love with another woman.
“How could he do that?” I couldn’t imagine how she felt betrayed at that time. She said that she couldn’t even breathe, and she wanted to die because it seemed that there was nothing. She was so desperate and she did nothing but cry all day long. In that moment, her saying that there is nothing we can do came to my mind. “I was suffering so tough times. I depended on just God. I’m still trying to move on.” I could recognize her sorrow on her face at that moment. Even though many times didn’t pass yet, she was trying to move forward, not just being in grief.
Afterwards, I came to realize why many people came to her. After she suffered tough times, she started to help other people who had same pain as her rather than keeping blaming for her husband. When they told her their concerns, and how hard they were, she heard their stories with her genuine attention and gave sincere advice to them. She was their blanket that covered their sorrow and filled with warmth. Then, I could get why grieving people came to her house with their concerns hard to tell to other people. Her words, tear, and prays for them were the best consolation.
ReplyDeleteWhat I got from her is the way she lived. I think there will be tough moment in my life, too. Something that I won’t control and get over easily could happen. I will cry for countless days. I can’t say I will recover and move forward right after that moment. Because I am sure I will be grieving and I will need some comfort from someone like Marilyn. However, afterwards, I will not stop from that. I will move on, and just as she helped other people, not just for herself, I will do that.