A quiet reflection sparked by “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
When I first watched When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) on Netflix,
I didn’t expect it to stir something so personal.
The story of Ae-soon, a girl growing up near the sea—
the daughter of a haenyeo, a traditional Korean female diver—
echoed faint memories passed down in my family, too.
Her mother refuses to teach her how to dive.
Because once you start, your life belongs to the sea.
That line lingered with me.
Like Ae-soon’s mother, there were women in my family
who bore the weight of the waves and of single motherhood.
They gave everything they had so that their daughters wouldn’t have to.
Later in the drama, we meet Geum-yeong, Ae-soon’s daughter—
bright, determined, resilient.
She grows up and finds her way to a top university in the capital.
It reminded me of my own journey.
I also left home young,
pursued education on my own terms,
and carried with me the unspoken strength of the women before me.
Now I live oceans away.
And one of those women—my mother—walks with me here.
No longer burdened by labor,
she now enjoys quiet days, gentle parks, and golden leaves.
To many, this drama might seem like a sweet coming-of-age tale.
But for me, it brought up something deeper—
A sense of lineage, sacrifice, and silent hope passed down across generations.
This may not be a story I tell often.
But it’s one I quietly carry.
📺 See this story come to life in a short video:
Thanks for reading.