나이 들면 장거리 여행이 힘들 거라고 큰아들이 강권하는 바람에 미국에 와서 여름휴가를 보내고 있습니다. 내일이면 캐나다 둘째 아들네로 가서 한 주간 뒤에 다시 돌아옵니다. 그러면 곧바로 귀국하게 될 것입니다.
한국을 떠난 지 벌써 4주간이 되고 있습니다. 울산이든, 여기 샌 라몬이 든, 내일부터 한 주간 지낼 킹스턴이든 우리의 하루 일과는 거의 동일합니다. 5시 반경에 일어나고 6시에 아침을 먹고 7시에는 산책을 나서서 한 시간 정도 걷습니다. 이곳의 여름은 비가 내리지 않다 보니, 지금 여름은 갈색으로 변한 황량한 벌판이고 푸른 들판은 겨울이라야 기대할 수 있는 동네입니다.
4주간 동안 꼭 하루아침 살짝 보슬비가 내려서 야외산책을 못했고, 나머지는 매일 아침 걸었습니다. 집을 나서 날마다 걷는 지역공원에 들어서는 데는 7, 8분 걸릴까요? 그러면 흙길입니다. 그리고 거의 매일 안개속으로 들어갑니다.
때로는 안개터널 속으로 걷기 시작하다 보면 한쪽이 걷히기 시작해서 돌아올 무렵에는 언제 그랬느냐는 듯이 푸른 하늘과 아름다운 흰구름을 보기도 합니다. 캘리포니아 지역은 기후가 참으로 좋은 곳입니다. 겨울이라고 춥지도 않고 사계절이 없이 늘 덥지도 않으니 사람 살기에는 좋아 보입니다.
이번 여름처럼 심한 가뭄에 텃밭도 꽃밭도 잊어버리고 억지춘향 격으로 이곳에서 피서를 했습니다. 시원한 날씨 속에서 보낸 복된 휴식의 시간이었습니다. 특히 아내에게 있어서는 특별한 쉼의 시간이었기에 울산에 있을 때와 달리 책을 읽는 모습이 자주 보였습니다.
그녀는 <신학, 대화로 만나다>(SFC) 다시 만난 예수(죠이북스) <성령이라는 선물>(온기를 품은 진리)을 읽고, 나는 <충의공 정기룡>(하동문화원)이라는 역사장편소설, <고흐의 하나님>(안재경, 홍성사) <램프란트의 하나님>(안재경, 홍성사) <영국화가 엘리자베스 키스의 올드 코리아>(책과 함께) 그리고 <영혼의 사계절>(정현구, 굿트리)을 감명 깊게 읽었습니다.
하긴 독서보다는 여기서는 아이들과 함께 하는 시간이 소중했습니다. 손녀 둘은 대학원과 대학을 다니고 막내 손주는 이제 고등학생입니다. 그러니 모두 다 할아버지 할머니가 신경 써서 같이 놀아줄 나이는 아닙니다. 그래도 방학이라 모두 집에 있었으니 드나들며 “다녀왔어요”라고 인사를 하고, 가끔은 식탁에 모두 함께 앉아서 이런저런 이야기를 나누기도 했습니다.
그리고 주말에는 가까운 곳에 함께 나가기도 했습니다. 내가 좋아하는 식물원이나 잘 가꾸어진 정원이나 숲 속으로 가기도 하고, 그럴 때는 저녁에 외식을 하는 기회도 가졌습니다. 주일에는 모두 함께 예배하러 가는 일도 참 귀중한 루틴이었습니다.
우리를 위해 마음을 쓰는 아들 내외가 고마왔고, 틈만 나면 함께 식탁에 앉아서 시간 가는 줄 모르고 대화를 나누는 고부간의 모습은 참으로 아름다웠습니다.
무늬만 할아버지 할머니인 우리를 ‘손주들과도 시간을 좀 보내야 되지 않겠느냐’고 강권한 덕분에 함께 시간을 보내게 되어서 감사합니다.
우리를 믿음 안에서 한 가족으로 허락하신 하나님을 찬양합니다.
At the strong urging of our eldest son, who insisted that long-distance travel would only become harder as we grow older, we came to the United States to spend our summer vacation. Tomorrow, we leave for Canada to spend a week with our second son's family and then return here. Right after that, we will be flying back home to Korea.
It has already been four weeks since we left Korea. Whether in Ulsan, here in San Ramon, or in Kingston where we will stay for a week starting tomorrow, our daily routine remains largely the same. We wake up around 5:30, have breakfast at 6:00, and step out for a morning walk at 7:00, walking for about an hour. Because it does not rain here in the summer, the fields right now are parched and brown; verdant green fields can only be expected during the winter in this region.
Throughout these four weeks, there was only one single morning when a light drizzle prevented us from taking our outdoor walk; every other morning, we walked without fail. Leaving the house, it takes about seven or eight minutes to reach the regional park where we walk every day. From there, it is an unpaved dirt path. And almost every morning, we step into the morning mist.
Sometimes, as we begin walking through the misty tunnel, one side begins to clear up, and by the time we return, as if nothing had ever happened, we are greeted by blue skies and beautiful white clouds. The climate in California is truly pleasant. It is never bitterly cold in winter, nor is it endlessly sweltering without seasons, making it a very comfortable place for people to live.
In the face of a severe drought like this summer's, I forgot all about my vegetable garden and flowerbeds back home, reluctantly yet gratefully escaping the heat here. It was a time of blessed rest spent in cool, refreshing weather. For my wife in particular, it was a special season of respite, and unlike her busy days in Ulsan, I often saw her sitting quietly with a book in hand.
She read Meeting Theology Through Dialogue (SFC), Jesus Encountered Anew (Joy Books), and The Gift Called the Holy Spirit (Ongi-reul Pumeun Jinri). Meanwhile, I thoroughly enjoyed and was deeply moved reading the historical novel General Jeong Gi-ryong of Loyalty and Righteousness (Hadong Cultural Center), Van Gogh's God (Jae-kyeong Ahn, Hongsungsa), Rembrandt's God (Jae-kyeong Ahn, Hongsungsa), Old Korea by British Painter Elizabeth Keith (Chaek-gwa Hamkke), and The Four Seasons of the Soul (Hyun-gu Jung, Good Tree).
Yet, even more than reading, the precious time spent with our grandchildren was what made this stay truly special. Our two granddaughters are in graduate school and college, and our youngest grandson is now in high school. Naturally, they are no longer at an age where grandparents need to hover around and entertain them. Still, since it was their summer break, they were all home; coming and going, they would greet us warmly with a "We're back!", and from time to time, we all gathered around the dining table to share stories about life.
On weekends, we also went on outings nearby together. We visited places I love, such as botanical gardens, manicured grounds, or deep forests, and on those occasions, we enjoyed dining out in the evening. Going to worship together as a whole family on Sundays was an especially precious routine.
I was deeply grateful to our son and daughter-in-law for their thoughtful care for us, and seeing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sitting at the table whenever they had a spare moment, losing track of time in sweet conversation, was truly heartwarming.
I am so thankful that, thanks to their insistence that we—grandparents merely in name—ought to spend meaningful time with our grandchildren, we were able to share these precious moments together.
Praise be to God, who has blessed us to be one family in faith.
Op die dringende aandrang van ons oudste seun, wat volgehou het dat langafstandreise al hoe moeiliker sou word namate ons ouer word, het ons na Amerika gekom om ons somervakansie hier deur te bring. Môre vertrek ons na ons tweede seun se gesin in Kanada vir 'n week, en daarna keer ons weer hierheen terug. Kort daarna sal ons dadelik terugvlieg na Korea.
Dit is nou al vier weke sedert ons Korea verlaat het. Of dit nou in Ulsan is, hier in San Ramon, of in Kingston waar ons van môre af 'n week sal deurbring, bly ons daaglikse roetine feitlik dieselfde. Ons staan omstreeks 05:30 op, eet ontbyt om 06:00, en gaan om 07:00 uit vir 'n oggendwandeling van ongeveer 'n uur. Omdat dit hier in die somer glad nie reën nie, is die velde tans vaalbruin en verlate; groen velde kan 'n mens eers in die winter in hierdie geweste verwag.
Gedurende hierdie vier weke was daar slegs een enkele oggend met 'n ligte motreën wat ons gekeer het om buite te stap; al die ander oggende het ons getrou gestap. As ons die huis verlaat, neem dit sewe of agt minute om die streekpark te bereik waar ons daagliks stap. Vandaar af is dit 'n grondpad. En byna elke oggend stap ons reguit die oggendmis binne.
Soms begin ons in 'n mistonnel stap, en dan begin die mis aan die een kant opklaar sodat ons teen die tyd dat ons terugkeer, asof niks ooit gebeur het nie, begroet word deur 'n helderblou lug en pragtige wit wolke. Die klimaat in Kalifornië is waarlik aangenaam. Dit is nooit vriesend koud in die winter nie, en ook nie aanhoudend versmorend warm sonder seisoene nie, wat dit 'n baie gerieflike plek maak om te woon.
Te midde van 'n hewige droogte soos hierdie somer, het ek my groentetuin en blomtuin tuis vergeet en dankbaar hierheen gekom om die hitte te ontsnap. Dit was 'n geseënde tyd van rus in koel weer. Veral vir my vrou was dit 'n baie besondere tyd van verkwikking; anders as haar besige dae in Ulsan, het ek haar gereeld rustig met 'n boek in die hand gesien.
Sy het Teologie Ontmoet Deur Gesprek (SFC), Jesus op Nuut Ontmoet (Joy Books) en Die Geskenk Genaamd die Heilige Gees (Ongi-reul Pumeun Jinri) gelees. Intussen het ek met groot behae en diepe ontroering die historiese roman Generaal Jeong Gi-ryong van Trou en Geregtigheid (Hadong Kultuursentrum), Van Gogh se God (Jae-kyeong Ahn, Hongsungsa), Rembrandt se God (Jae-kyeong Ahn, Hongsungsa), Ou Korea deur die Britse Skilder Elizabeth Keith (Chaek-gwa Hamkke), en Die Vier Seisoene van die Siel (Hyun-gu Jung, Good Tree) gelees.
Nogtans was die tyd saam met ons kleinkinders baie kosbaarder as al die boeke. Ons twee kleindogters is op nagraadse skool en universiteit, en ons jongste kleinseun is nou op hoërskool. Hulle is dus natuurlik nie meer op 'n ouderdom waar oupa en ouma hulle voortdurend hoef te vermaak nie. Nietemin, aangesien dit skool- en universiteitsvakansie was, was hulle almal tuis; terwyl hulle in- en uitgegaan het, het hulle ons vriendelik met "Ons is terug!" gegroet, en af en toe het ons almal saam om die etenstafel gesit en oor die lewe gesels.
Oor naweke het ons ook saam na nabygeleë plekke uitgegaan. Ons het besoek afgelê by plekke waarvan ek baie hou, soos botaniese tuine, pragtig versorgde tuine of welige woude, en by sulke geleenthede het ons saans lekker gaan uiteet. Om Sondae almal saam as gesin na die erediens te gaan, was 'n besonder kosbare roetine.
Ons was baie dankbaar teenoor ons seun en skoondogter vir hul liefdevolle sorg vir ons, en om skoonma en skoondogter te sien sit en gesels sonder om die tyd agter te kom wanneer hulle ook al 'n vrye oomblik gehad het, was waarlik hartverwarmend.
Ek is so dankbaar dat ons, wat eintlik maar net oupa en ouma in naam is, danksy hulle volgehoue aandrang dat ons 'tog tyd saam met die kleinkinders moet deurbring', sulke kosbare oomblikke saam kon geniet.
Loof die Here, wat ons as een gesin in die geloof aan mekaar geskenk het.