Blood is thicker than water

Every day of my life

I am reminded of my culture

And I feel my deep history 

Rushing through my veins

I feel the pain and hardship

My great grandparents had to endure during the Japanese occupation

When their culture and their language 

Was snatched from them

Replaced with the foreign culture and language of their oppressors

I remember the stories that my grandfather once told me

Of him escaping North Korea with his family

And losing his father and baby brother in the process

I try to put myself in the feet of my grandparents

Who had to leave their life in their homeland of South Korea

And everything they have ever known

In order to give my mom and her sisters more opportunities

I imagine the pain my grandparents had to face

When sending their child

Off to a foreign land

Over 2,000 miles away

In order for him to help pursue his dreams

I see firsthand

The blood, sweat, and tears

My parents go through every day 

Just so my sister and I could have 

More than they have ever had

Every day of my life 

I am reminded who I am

And the sacrifices that my ancestors had to make 

In order for me to be here today

Blood is thicker than water

And it makes you who you are today