Su-mi's dreams of becoming a K-pop star are finally coming true, but her passion is met with the challenge of conforming to society's beauty standards. As she searches for true meaning and purpose in life, a journey of self-discovery leads her and her long-term boyfriend to open a rescue cat sanctuary.
Su-mi's dreams of becoming a K-pop star are finally coming true, but her passion is met with the challenge of conforming to society's beauty standards. As she searches for true meaning and purpose in life, a journey of self-discovery leads her and her long-term boyfriend to open a rescue cat sanctuary.
Su-mi stepped out of the grocery store, bags in hand, relieved that she had finally managed to check off everything on her shopping list. As she approached her car, she heard a faint, pitiful meowing. Curiously, she followed the sound around the corner of the building to the dumpster. There, amidst the discarded cardboard boxes and leftover food containers, she found a sight that tugged at her heartstrings. A thin, gray cat with matted fur sat beside the dumpster, her emerald eyes filled with desperation. Next to her, nestled in a cardboard box, were four tiny kittens, their eyes barely open, meowling softly for their mother’s warmth. Su-mi’s heart ached at the sight. She couldn’t just leave them here to fend for themselves. Without a second thought, she carefully scooped up the box of kittens and held it close to her chest. The mama cat hissed defensively but didn’t attack. “Hey there, little ones,” Su-mi cooed to the kittens, her voice soft and soothing. “Don’t worry; you’re safe now.” She glanced around, hoping to spot a missing owner or a collar, but there was no one in sight. She couldn’t simply abandon them again. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do next. Although she had never owned a pet before, she had a natural maternal instinct that took over instantly. Su-mi pulled out her phone and called Woo-jin. “Hi sweetheart,” Woo-jin’s voice crackled through the phone. “Honey, you won’t believe what I found,” Su-mi replied, excitement and worry mixed in her voice. "What is it?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “I found a stray mama cat and her kittens near the dumpster behind the grocery store,” Su-mi explained. “They look like they’ve been abandoned, and I can’t just leave them here. I need to help them.” “Of course, Su-mi,” he said without hesitation. “I’ll be right there. Just make sure you and the cats are safe.” Both Su-mi and Woo-jin loved animals, and often admired them as they took long walks through their property. But this was the first time Su-mi had encountered an animal in need. It awakened a sense of compassion within her that called her to action. “Thank you, Woo-jin,” Su-mi said with relief. She knew she could count on him. Within minutes, Woo-jin arrived at the scene, and Su-mi handed the box of kittens to him while she went back inside the grocery store to buy some cat food. Cautiously approaching the mama cat, she used the cat food to help gain her trust. She coaxed the feline with gentle words and soothing strokes until the cat allowed her to pick her up, enjoying the nice meal. “Let’s get them home,” Woo-jin said, his eyes softening as he looked at the little family they had just rescued. Back at their spacious house, Su-mi and Woo-jin set up a space for the mama cat and her kittens in one of the spare bedrooms. They arranged the cat food, water, and a soft blanket for the exhausted mother to nestle in with her babies. As they watched the kittens nuzzle up to their mother, Woo-jin turned to Su-mi with a smile. “You did a good thing today, my sweet.” Tears of gratitude welled up in Su-mi’s eyes as she replied, “We did a good thing together. These little ones needed a home, and now they have one.” They began to research how to care for their unexpected furry family members. Little did they know that this rescue would not only change the lives of the mama cat and her kittens but would also bring a new kind of joy and love into their own lives.
Finding Myself by Nicole Simon
An ambitious girl from Seoul loves entertaining more than anything. Her passions drive her to do whatever it takes to ascend to K-Pop stardom. With the love and support of her family and future husband Woo-jin, she seemingly has the world in the palm of her hands. As with most things in life, there are ups and downs. Su-mi finds that the industry is creating self-doubt and insecurities brought upon by perfectionism. Then one fateful experience brings everything to a crescendo which has her questioning her priorities in life. Leaning on Woo-Jin for love and understanding, can she find her path through the darkness?
In reading this I kept thinking of P Diddy's show "Making the Band". The desire to be a star was everything for those people auditioning to make the cut. Anything to be in front of thousands of people and feel the rush and electricity of giving an entertaining concert. Nicole Simon has done a fabulous job of painting a main protagonist with that perfectionist personality trait. Weaving that fine line between feeling successful and being overly critical of one's self is like sailing in a beautiful catamaran in rough ocean waters. How is it possible to feel like you are good enough? The lesson I took from this book was how being vulnerable and allowing yourself to be compassionate, particularly with our individual feelings is ok.
As I finished the book I also realized it is a beautiful love story between two individuals willing to support each other through thick and thin. Finding the strength in others when we have a tremendous amount of self-doubt. It read as if taking a nice warm bath or a quick meditation interlude and I found myself conjuring up ideas of how I might be less self-critical. I am giving this 4 out of 5 stars ⭐ For people who love an excellent love story, and for some like me who can be reminded to be kind to themselves. Recommended!