When I was in college, a friend called me about a job where I could make good money. It was at a Japanese restaurant. He worked as a waiter, dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, and made good money from tips. I wasn’t comfortable dealing with customers, so I chose to work in the kitchen washing dishes.
There was an older Korean gentleman who worked alongside me. He liked me because I worked hard. One day, he said to me, “Mr. Kim, I used to be a secretary to Kim Gu, the Korean independence leader. Someday, when I return to Korea, I’ll have an important position in the government. Study hard, and when that day comes, I’ll call you back to Korea and make you the Minister of Foreign Affairs.”
So, there I was, washing dishes in a restaurant kitchen while dreaming of becoming Korea’s Foreign Minister!
Not long afterward, I learned that he was struggling with mental health difficulties. Nevertheless, we remained very close.
Years later, while serving as an associate pastor in Boston, I mentioned him during a sermon. Afterward, a devoted church member who was a psychiatrist came to me and told me that the man I had spoken about was her father. Later, when I moved to New York, another well-known member of the Korean community told me that he, too, was the man’s child.
I eventually learned that the gentleman who had washed dishes beside me had once been a highly accomplished and respected man in Korea. But after immigrating to America, he had faced many hardships. Following the death of his wife, he had gone through years of emotional and mental struggles.
Even today, whenever I go to a restaurant, I make a point of treating those who bring food to the table or clean up afterward with kindness and respect. I feel a special connection with immigrants who struggle with English and work long hours in difficult jobs. After all, I once did that kind of work myself. And how many Korean immigrants of our generation have not gone through similar experiences?
A grateful person is someone who never forgets where they came from. And a truly grateful person is someone who shares the blessings they have received with others.