This happy and lovely baby is my niece. She is my second sister's only daughter. She was born on 16th July 2014(yeah her birthday is coming). I don't know if it is common for everyone on worldwide, but there's saying that your first niece or nephew is the most adorable one, even more adorable than your own babies in Korea, and I can't disagree with that.
I used to think it is hard to take care of a baby for they are not able to express what they feel, and they are vulnerable. But these myths disappeared once I met my niece.
I have two older sisters, 9 years older and 6 years older than me. The oldest sister Jiyeon is still living a single life, and she enjoys her Korean teaching career. My second sister, Yanghee was a professional clothing designer, but she retired when she married. It is 7 years ago.
After Yanghee married, she launched her own business. She wanted to try a Yoga and skin care center. But it was her first try. It didn't work well. It required her more than a financial investment.
It was 6 months after she started her business when she knew her baby was 2 weeks old inside her. It was more than a just surprising news to my family. We were too happy for that. She decided to sell her business, happily.
She had to have a Caesarean. I went to see my sister and her newborn baby. My niece was staying in an infant unit and she was smiling. It was awkward. A three-day-old baby smiling toward me? Can she even notice my face?
she grew up like that. Sometimes she cried, but a little less than other babies. Most of the times she smiled and laughed. I haven't seen any other babies this close, but I felt that my niece's humor and positive energy are just innate gift she was given from her parents and god.
Sometimes she made a joke. It is too amazing that just 3 year old girl understands people's joke and makes her own one. For example, when she kept asking me to play with her, I acted like I was dead. My sister said that I ran out of battery and died. My sister said, 'If you kissed him he would alive again!' then my niece went up to my bed and kissed my cheek. I opened my eyes and said loudly, 'I'm alive!!' She laughed loudly too.
But right after that moment, she ran to her room and went up to bed. We chased her. She was laying her face down on her bed and smiling at us. She was waiting for us to come. She said fast, 'I ran out of battery!' then turned her face, closed her eyes. My sister and I burst in laugh and tear came out of our eyes. We kissed her all around her face. She opened her eyes and said she is alive.
The more she grew up and her language developed the funnier she became. Sometimes she tries to invite me to her own story and her own imaginative world. Sometimes she wants to be a magician. Sometimes she wants to be a Crong, Pororo's friend. When someone in the family made a sad face, she runs to them and says 'It is okay, It will be okay' and put her toy on their hands.
This picture was taken last winter, when I accidently dropped her doll Loopy. She grabbed my hand and led me to a table. She said we need to give a medical treatment to Loopy. She opened her kinder milk chocolate that she planned to eat it at home and gave it to Loopy. I didn't told her that Loopy can not eat it. She just made a motion that Loopy was eating it, and left over was mine.
I sometimes think that a child can make visible what adult think invisible. Let's think about the movie 'Hook'. The grown up Peter Pan could not see the food from colored clays, but his friends, who still hold their unfixed imagination pure can actually realize a lot of food in their sight and eat them.
Many times we misunderstands what she is explaining to me. That's because she is just becoming three years old and try to make a story. Buy my niece, she seems like that she knows what is needed for me. Peaceful mind that people easily lose in a short while, and the ability to make see anything in a positive aspects. Why does she always try to make other feel everythings okay? Why does she always smile? It is like she knows how to be happy and tries to teach me. It is like she knows that happiness is not something you earn from solving problems and doing something. She brings out smiles and happiness from the inside of me.
술 마시다가 우리 조카가 생각나서 글을 썼습니다. 조카.. 너무 보고 싶어요. 담주 주말 생일입니다.
이녀석 너무 웃겨가지고.. 어느 날은 재 배에 쩜프해서 떨어지더니, 아파하니까.
다른 사람들을까봐 입을 막고 응 응 괜찮아, 괜찮아 질거야. 미안해~ 삼촌 미안해~ 하더군요.
이마에 볼을 막 대면서. 고사리손으로 제 입을 토닥토닥하면서요.
삼촌 위에 누우면 배 안아플거야, 하니까 제 위에 바로 누웠습니다. 조카 무게 느끼면서 누워있으니까
앞으로 제가 잘 살아서 조카한테 많은 도움 되는 삼촌이 되고 싶었어요.
사랑합니다 내조카 흐흐흐흐흐흐흐흐흐흐
