Her mother told her she can’t see me.
I was crushed.
My brother was stationed in Korea as a soldier for the US army when I visited him.
One day he said, “Let’s go out to this place. I want you to meet some people.”
I saw her and had to strike a conversation.
It was sparks and fireworks from the very beginning.
“Come visit me in Hong Kong,” I said.
“I’d love to,” she replied.
I was ecstatic.
A week later she called me—
“My mother won’t let me.”
We were both floored.
Korean culture is like that.
Parents are protective of their kids.
Especially daughters.
But I knew it was now or never.
So I booked a ticket to Korea and arrived that same weekend.
And met both mother and daughter at a coffee shop.
“I’m a nice guy,” I told her mom. “I’ll take care of your daughter.”
“You just met her,” she replied. “How do I know you’re serious?”
“I wouldn’t have flown here this same week to talk to you if I wasn’t.”
That was in 2016.
We’re getting married later this year.
When someone stands in the way of what you want—
Find out what their concerns are.
Her mother wanted the best for her daughter.
She just had to understand I felt the same.