dear bear | kth

7장

dear bear,

happy birthday!

haPPY BIRTHdaY! (your uncle hoseok suggested emphasizing certain words)

after your birthday party— your aunt hyomi gave me a letter. it was a letter that your mom had written before everything. it felt weird seeing your mother's handwriting again. but it felt comforting.

i made a promise with her that i would give you your mother's letter when the times feels right.

for now, this letter is a thank you letter from me— your father.

this is a story i don't really mention nor do many know— except for your uncles.

after your mother— i felt agony mixed with anger. my days were withered away in things i shouldn't have dabbled in.

till this one day. you were really quiet that day- no cry, nothing. i got scared and peeled into your bassinet and there you were- smiling brightly at the little toys dangling from above.

it was at that moment that i realized i had to protect this beautiful smile no matter what.

before i get even more sappier- well it'll be difficult for me not to- you are now in kindergarten.

it only seems like yesterday when you first started to crawl and pull your aunt hyomi's hair for fun. now you walk all over the place, screaming about your day at school.

but i'm not complaining. i adore your babbling more than your silence.

as a parent, you really learn love, patience, and pain through your child.

when you wake up every morning to see your child's bright smile and hands reaching out to you. that's when you realize the love blooming in your heart.

you learn to listen to every small thing and encourage your child to grow in speech.

there's days where your child gets sick and cries all day about their pain. as a parent, you want nothing more than to get rid of it.

thank you for teaching me things like that through your growth.

i hope that you'll continue to grow as an amazingly unique and beautiful human being. i don't mean beautiful in appearance but rather in the inside of your heart.

beauty is just another word made my society to define others. descriptions of beauty are words that are empty and meaningless. beauty doesn't define your worth.

what is inside matters most at the end of the day when you are in bed.

i'm not worried about you. i know for a fact that you will grow up to have a compassionate and amazing heart.

one that everyone will wish to have.

love,
kim taehyung