Siwon Park, 2016 Level 3, Runner-Up

Dear Shel Silverstein,

Every day at 7 p-m., I would pick a book from the shelf. The day I picked your book, The Giving Tree, I was 8 years old. At first, it was just fun to read. I remember reading it over and over until it was time for bed. Then it started to inspire me as I read and reread. Since the day I picked The Giving Tree, it genuinely became my favorite book of all time. it is also the book that opened my eyes to the other world that I hadn’t seen. When I first read your book, I was just wishing that I had my own giving tree. But when I reread as an older child, I realized that I actually have had my own giving tree since birth.

It was my mom. My mom was and is and will be my one and only giving tree. After I realized that my mom acts just like the tree in the book, I was so mad at myself for being selfish. As a daughter who does not express my feelings toward my parents often, I totally agree that I am not the giving tree to them. While thinking about that, a Korean adage came to my mind. It says “There is love downwards but not upwards,” which means it is hard for children to love their parents more than parents love them. At first, I did not agree with that. I thought I could love my parents more than they love me, but it was impossible.

Thinking about the past, I admit that I was egocentric. When something went wrong, I would just be mad and give up, not trying to solve the problem. The spark of anger within me would spatter to my mom. Then she would do her best to make me feel better and try to solve the problem with me. She gives love in many different ways like the tree. Despite all the love I get from her, I just keep it and do not give it back much. When she would ask me to do some work for her, I
would say “no” just because I’m tired or lazy.

The time when I was really disappointed in myself was when my mom said if she had to compare the love she gives and receives from me, it would be 90 to 10. I thought she would say 70 to 30. I was so disappointed and asked myself why I could not do better. My mom explained that the ratio was 100 to 0 when I was a baby. As I grow, I am becoming more mature and developing different ways of thinking, resulting the changes. Someday, I hope the ratio will change to 50 to 50, or even 30 to 70 in my favor.

My mom was there whenever I needed someone to rely on. She was there whenever I needed someone to just listen to me. She was always there for me encouraging whenever I wanted to give up. She was and is and will be my one and only giving tree. As I grow up, I might leave her like the boy left the giving tree. But I won’t. If I do leave my mom when I become an adult, I will be so ashamed of myself for not giving all the love I got from her. Whenever I would try to turn my back on her, I would always think about your book and howl felt looking at the tree and boy.

Thank you very much Shel Silverstein for showing me another world that I did not notice before, and letting me realize how lucky l am to have my own giving tree who always loves me and who thinks about me before herself in every way.

Respectfully yours,

Siwon Park