Without Me

When I was young, I often said things like,

“Without you, I can’t live.”

I heard those words in songs, poems, and love stories.
And honestly, I probably believed them, too.

But after living for 60 years, I have come to see life a little differently.

Life is my own stage.
Without me, nothing matters at all.

I don't mean that the world cannot exist without me.

I mean that my life cannot have meaning if I am not taking care of myself and living my own life.

I often tell my students this when they don't study very hard.

Before telling them to study more, I want them to know something more important:

You are important.
You are the main character in your own life.

Your health is for you.
Your education is for you.
Your dreams are for you.

And I think the most basic way to take care of yourself is surprisingly simple.

Eat well.

So this morning, I made a really good breakfast.

I cooked a pot of mixed-grain rice with beans and other grains, and I was happy to eat it while it was still warm.

 I actually prefer rice to bread, but about every other day, I make myself a sandwich, too.

Ham, an egg, an apple, and some peanut butter.
Yes, I know ham isn't exactly the healthiest food. 😅💕

But that's okay.

Eating something I enjoy is also part of taking care of myself.

I have learned that loving myself doesn't always have to be something big or dramatic.

Sometimes it is simply making myself a good breakfast.

Sometimes it is going swimming.

Sometimes it is going to the driving range.

Sometimes it is just sitting quietly and enjoying my own life.

When I was young:

“Without you, I can't live.”

Now, I have changed the words.

“Without me, nothing matters at all.”

And this morning, I made breakfast for myself.

Because I matter. ❤️

KR Version

젊었을 때 나는 노래 가사처럼
“Without you, I can't live.”라는 말을 더 좋아했다.

누군가가 없으면 내가 살 수 없을 것 같았다.

그런데 60년을 살아보니 생각이 조금 달라졌다.

Life is my own stage.
Without me, nothing matters at all.

내가 내 삶의 주인공이 되어야 한다는 뜻이다.

특히 나는 공부를 잘하지 않는 아이들에게 이 말을 자주 한다.

“너 자신이 얼마나 중요한 사람인지 먼저 알아야 해.”

공부도 결국 나를 위한 것이고,
건강도 나를 위한 것이고,
내가 하고 싶은 일을 하는 것도 나를 위한 것이다.

그리고 그 모든 것의 가장 기본에는 먹는 것이 있다.

그래서 오늘 아침에는 나를 위해 밥을 열심히 했다. ㅎㅎ

내가 빵보다 밥을 좋아해서 잡곡과 여러 콩을 넣고 밥을 지었다.
그리고 금방 지어진 따뜻한 밥을 맛있게 먹었다.

물론 이틀에 한 번쯤은 샌드위치도 만들어 먹는다.

햄도 넣고, 계란도 넣고, 사과도 넣고, 땅콩버터도 바른다.
조금 건강에 아쉬운 재료가 있어도 괜찮다. ㅎㅎ
내가 좋아해서 맛있게 먹는 것도 나를 돌보는 일이니까.

나는 요즘 나를 사랑하는 첫 번째 방법은 잘 먹는 것이라고 생각한다.

거창한 자기계발보다 훨씬 먼저 해야 할 일이다.

내가 배고픈데 다른 사람만 챙길 수는 없다.

Feed yourself.
Take care of yourself.
Because you matter.

젊었을 때는
Without you, I can't live.

이제는 이렇게 말하고 싶다.

Without me, nothing matters at all.

그리고 오늘 아침,
나는 나를 위해 맛있는 밥을 만들었다.

Because I matter. ❤️

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