Beneath The First Snow, A Dream

In 1941, in a small village in Jecheon, Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea, a boy was born, carrying a story of love and hope even amidst the chaos of the world. During a time overshadowed by the looming threat of war, the boy remembered the clear skies of his childhood and the warm touch of his mother. However, at the age of nine, the Korean War broke out, plunging his life into turmoil and fear. The war took away their home, and with no father in the family, they barely managed to survive through his mother’s unwavering love and strength. "My mother was a beam of light, a pillar who protected us even in the darkest times of war," he later recalled, never forgetting her sacrifices. Despite their hardships, the boy never gave up on learning. His steps toward the city were filled with hope for a better future. By the 1960s, he had become a public servant in Seoul, working diligently while starting his own family. In 1970, he met his lifelong partner, and with the birth of his first son, his life gained a new purpose. "I wanted to give my family the same love my mother had given me," he said, a vow that became the driving force of his life. In 1998, his first son got married and moved out, leaving the father with mixed emotions of pride and emptiness. When his first grandchild was born in 2000, he retired, marking the start of a new chapter. "Now the protagonists of my life are my children and their children," he said with a bittersweet smile. In 2004, he started a new habit. He began sending his first son short poems and stories via email. His poems became a bridge between the past and the present, containing reflections on the scars of war, his love for family, and the lessons he had learned over the years. For more than 20 years, his emails continued to arrive week after…