When Life Gives You Tangerines: A Love Story of Heartbreak, Healing, and Hope 🍊💔

I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for something to reach deep inside me, yank at my heart, and make me feel emotions I thought I’d buried long ago. I’m not one to indulge in tear-jerkers. I don’t watch K-dramas. I never click on those emotional movies that Netflix seems to throw at me like it knows exactly what I need to cry over. But somehow, When Life Gives You Tangerines kept showing up on my screen. Over and over again, like the universe was trying to whisper something to me, trying to tell me that this story wasn’t just any story — it was mine. And so, I gave in. I clicked play. And within minutes, my world unraveled. 💔

I thought it was just going to be another movie, just another distraction, but it became so much more. It became the truth I didn’t know I was ready to face. It was as if Ae-sun, the main character, was speaking my soul’s language. The struggles she faced? Her heartache? Her love and loss? It was as if someone had written the story of my life, made it fiction, and wrapped it in a little box with a bow. Except, there was no bow. There was only raw, undeniable truth.

Ae-sun’s Broken Heart: A Mirror to My Own 💔

Ae-sun’s heartbreak was like a mirror reflecting the scars on my own heart. It took me right back to the hardest times of my life — the kind of pain that takes your breath away and leaves you numb. I didn’t know what grief really was until I lost my father. That day still feels like a bad dream. He was here, and then he wasn’t. And all those moments, all those words left unsaid, still haunt me.

When I watched Ae-sun struggle with her mother’s death, the feeling of being left behind without closure, I couldn’t stop the tears. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my dad. I didn’t get to say everything I wanted to say. And that’s the part that kills me every single day. What if he didn’t know how much I loved him? What if, somehow, he left this world not really knowing the depth of my gratitude for everything he did for me?

Watching Ae-sun grapple with regrets, with a heart full of things left unsaid, was like peeling back the layers of my own grief. It took me back to the empty conversations I’d had with myself, questioning if I had said enough, loved enough, or been enough before he left. I could feel her pain in my chest like a vice grip, but at the same time, I felt this strange sense of hope. Because, just like Ae-sun, I moved forward. I didn’t have the answers, and I sure as hell didn’t know what the future held, but I somehow made it. Somehow, I survived.

And through it all, I found someone who loved me through my mess. Someone who stayed when I was falling apart, someone who saw me in my most broken state and chose me anyway. He didn’t see me as the broken pieces of myself but as a whole. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. 💛

Gwan-sik: The Love I Always Wanted, and Finally Have 💖

And then there was Gwan-sik. His love for Ae-sun was messy, complicated, and real. It wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t always easy. But that was the kind of love I had been searching for. The kind that doesn’t try to fix you, doesn’t try to mold you into something you’re not, but loves you for everything you are — flaws, chaos, and all. Gwan-sik loved Ae-sun through every tear, every moment of pain, and every scar that life had left on her. And in watching that love unfold, I realized it was exactly the kind of love I wanted.

But then I looked at Choy, my partner in this rollercoaster of life. I saw him through the lens of their love. Gwan-sik’s love was no fairy tale, but it was genuine. It was everything I had found in Choy — the same kind of love that endured despite everything.

Photo Taken 2006

We’ve been through hell together, Choy and I. We've had our share of struggles, doubts, and heartaches. But we've also shared moments of pure joy, laughter, and a kind of peace that makes every battle worth it. We built something together — a family, a life, a bond that neither time nor hardship could break. And in the hardest moments, when everything felt like it was falling apart, we didn’t walk away from each other. We chose to stay. We chose to grow together.

But there’s a question that haunts me, a question I can’t shake. Will we grow old together?

It’s the thought that keeps me up at night, makes me wonder if we’ll make it. Will we get to see the years stack up? Will we watch the wrinkles deepen on our faces and the lines in our hands tell the story of our time together? Time slips away so fast, faster than I can keep up with, and I can’t help but wonder: Will we have enough time?

Photo Taken: 2006

There are days when I feel like that scared little girl again — unsure of what the future holds, unsure of what’s next. But then I look at Choy, and the fear fades a little. Choy is here. And for now, that’s enough. 💖

But just like Gwan-sik and Ae-sun, there’s a shared weight of family expectations that no one talks about. Gwan-sik’s family never wanted Ae-sun. They had their own plans for him. They expected him to follow their vision, to be someone he wasn’t, and Ae-sun was never part of that picture. Just like me and Choy, we weren’t accepted by his family. They never saw me the way they should’ve, never fully understood me, never gave me the chance to be who I am with their son. But just like Ae-sun and Gwan-sik, we didn’t let that define us. We ran away.

Choy and I did the same thing. We built our own world, far away from the expectations of others. And just like Gwan-sik, we returned — for a time. For Gwan-sik and Ae-sun, it was when they had their first child. They returned to the Yang family, thinking they could find some kind of peace, some kind of acceptance. But Gwan-sik saw the toll it was taking on Ae-sun. He realized that she wasn’t there to serve his family; she was there for him. And when that truth settled in his heart, when he saw the strain it was putting on his love, he made a choice.

He chose Ae-sun. He chose their family. And so, they moved out. They built their own life, far from the weight of expectations. It was a decision that I could feel deep in my bones because, in that moment, I saw myself. I saw our journey. Choy and I, too, had to make those hard choices. We had to run away from the things that were suffocating us, the things that didn’t understand us. We had to make our own space in this world, on our own terms.

And like Gwan-sik said, Ae-sun wasn’t there to serve anyone else. She was there for him. And that’s when I saw it — in the way Gwan-sik loved her, in the way he chose her again and again, in the way he protected their family from the weight of expectations. He didn’t just protect her from the world. He protected her from the people who didn’t see her for who she truly was. And that’s what I see in Choy. He’s always had my back, always chosen me — even when the world, and his family, tried to pull us apart.

I see us in their story, and I realize that, just like Gwan-sik, Choy has made the decision to choose me, every single day. Through the hard times, through the doubts, through the pain. It’s not always easy. It’s messy. But it’s ours.

Love is never perfect. It’s never easy. But it’s real. And that’s what makes it beautiful.

Will We Grow Old Together? 🤔💫

Will we? The years seem to pass in the blink of an eye. My children are already growing up so fast, and I look at them and wonder where all that time went. Was it enough? Was I enough? I can’t stop thinking about how fragile everything is. Life, love, time — it all feels like sand slipping through my fingers. But even in the uncertainty, even in the fear, there’s a sense of peace in knowing that we have each other, even if we don’t have forever.

In the end, I know that it’s enough. Choy is my constant. He is the one thing I know will never change. That’s all I need.

Bu Sang-gil & Yeong-ran: A Story of Regret and Redemption 🕊️

And then there’s Bu Sang-gil and Yeong-ran. Their story was one of the most heartbreaking parts of this movie. Bu Sang-gil spent so much time chasing after things that didn’t matter, only to realize, too late, that what he really needed was right in front of him. His wife, Yeong-ran, had always been there, loving him, waiting for him to see her. But by the time he did, it was too late.

Their story gutted me. It reminded me of so many things I’ve lost along the way. How often do we get caught up in the pursuit of things — success, approval, recognition — only to realize that the things we thought mattered are really just distractions from what we truly need? How often do we forget the people who love us until they’re no longer there? Watching Bu Sang-gil’s regret felt like a gut punch. It was a reminder that time isn’t on our side. We think we have all the time in the world, but in reality, we don’t. ⏳

It makes me question everything. Am I doing enough for Choy? Am I telling him I love him enough? Am I appreciating him the way he deserves to be appreciated? We get so caught up in the noise of life, the demands of work, the pressures of everything, that we forget to focus on the simple, beautiful moments — the moments that matter the most.

Moral Lesson from Bu Sang-gil and Yeong-ran’s Story 💡

Their story taught me a valuable lesson: appreciate what you have before it’s gone. We don’t get forever. We don’t get unlimited time with the people we love. And that’s something I try to remind myself every day. Life is fragile. People are fragile. Time is fragile.

Sometimes, love isn’t about the grand gestures. It’s about the quiet moments, the small acts of kindness, the choice to stay even when things get tough. It’s in the patience, the understanding, the listening — all the things that build up over time.

The Children of Ae-sun and Gwan-sik: A Glimpse of the Future I Yearn For

Ae-sun and Gwan-sik’s children were another part of this story that broke me. Watching them grow, dealing with their own pain, their own heartbreaks, it made me realize that love is not just about us. It’s about what we leave behind. It’s about the legacy we create.

Their children, with all their struggles, reminded me of what I hope to build for my own family. I want my kids to see love in its purest form, to understand that love isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it. I want them to see the value in loyalty, in fighting for what you believe in, and in never giving up on the people you love.

And then there’s the tragedy of Dong-myeong, their son, who dies at such a young age. It’s a painful reminder that life is fragile. Time is fleeting. We think we have all the time in the world, but we don’t. That loss? That heartbreak? It’s a reality we all face sooner or later.

The Bitter Truth: We Never Know What’s Coming

Ae-sun and Gwan-sik found peace before time ran out. And watching that, I realized that we have to find peace now. We can’t keep waiting for the “right time” because that time might never come. We don’t always get the chance to say everything we want to say. I didn’t get to tell my dad everything I should have, but I’m still here, still carrying that pain, still trying to heal.

And I’m still trying to make sure I don’t make the same mistake with Choy. I don’t want to live with the regret of not showing him how much he means to me, not appreciating the love we have, and not telling him how much I love him every day.

The Unfinished Chapters of My Story

The love between Gwan-sik and Ae-sun wasn’t perfect. They fought. They struggled. But they always chose each other. Every single day. And that’s what I want. I want to choose love, even when it’s hard. Even when it’s messy. Because love isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up. It’s about choosing each other through everything — the hurt, the healing, the growing. It’s about saying what needs to be said before it’s too late.

I’ve learned that love is messy, but it’s the mess that makes it beautiful. It’s the chaos that creates something real. And through all of it, through all the heartbreak and healing, I’ll choose love. Every. Single. Day. 💛