Crying in H Mart

From the first paragraph I knew I was going to like this book. I saw the essay in social media several weeks ago so I was thrilled when I learned that the author wrote a memoir. Grief is a lonely thing. But I loved how by reading this book, it felt like I wasn't alone. While I'm not Korean, I connected with her experiences, the way her mom used food and acts of services to express her love, how her mom loved shopping and nice things, how important reputation and looks are to her mom, and in general the Asian mom culture that I grew up with. How I loved my mom so much but like the author, a lot of the times failed in showing her.

“It seemed unfair to me that the two of them should have to wait on anyone when their grief was undoubtedly the deepest.”

“For the rest of my life there would be a splinter in my being, stinging from the moment my mother died until it was buried with me.”

“I couldn't fathom joy or pleasure in losing myself in a moment ever again. Maybe because it felt wrong, like a betrayal. If I really loved her, I had no right to feel those things again.”