Dorothy Ralphs

Hi Sang,
I am up to page 269 in your book and have been thoroughly enjoying it, reading it differently than I would if it were written by someone I did not know, thinking about our common beginnings in another country, then leaving our home and all we know for “America”, the home of movie stars, Thunderbird cars, and the excitement movies have filled our young heads with.

I just had to stop reading this morning. As I read about your departure from Korea, your Mom and all your friends saying goodbye! It was just too much, I found myself bawling so the pages blurred and I couldn’t read any more. It brought back that day when I stood on the deck of the ship, my Mom and Dad and all my sisters, my cousins and friends all wandering about, trying to be cheerful and give good advice! All I wanted to do was cry and hug everyone. Suddenly realizing I might never see any of them again. When we left I did have a wonderful new husband with whom I was madly in love, but there was no way he could comfort me from the thought of never seeing my Mom again. When the ship broke away from the Harbour and gradually my family became smaller and smaller and I couldn’t see them any more I thought I would just die. I think Boris thought he would never shut down the well of tears, I sobbed and sobbed at that railing, knowing I could not change my mind or do anything about my decision .

Now I have been here 50 years! But for some reason the remembrance of that day always brings me to tears. I shall continue on your saga with great interest because I will next be entering your experiences when you first come to America.
Dorothy Ralphs