The beast bit off my hand

If I go back with my memories, tracing back to the morning of the lawn mower accident changed my life upside down, liberally I can state it as such.

On a beautiful Saturday morning, Sept.23.1989, less than month since we moved in to this tiny 3 bed room and a den with huge back yard house near my business, The Beach Store.

The most important thing I am concerned about is not how, when or what had happened, but what kind of things went through my mind, psychological aspects of it. Especially what it did to my whole being, which resulted in transformational experience.

It only took less than a split second, Clearly it was dumbest thing to do put a hand in a running lawn mower, trying to get grass out of it. It was like the beast bit off my hand in a less than a split second. The dark red blood was gushing out as the speed of my heart beat.

Oops, Oh God, Oh shit!. I screamed out silently, there were no one was there to hear me. “I must stop this bleeding, or I will die in 2 minutes if I don’t”

In a split second, I put my right hand over the bleeding hand.” Go get some help, but don’t go in the house “.My kids were eating cereal, my daughter Eunie  6, my son Eugene was 2 years old.

In a split second, I realized, “Oh my God, Oh shit, I am a handicap mother for my kids for rest of their lives”.

“It’s done deal now “.The deepest sense of loss forever will remain. In a split second, most grey and darkest, helpless feeling took over my whole being, body and soul mind. It was sort of pain and severe paralyzing shock though out my body, can’t quite pin point where it was hurting.

In a split second, that was the moment of beginning point of my journey.” Oh my God, what am I supposed to learn from this?” My question never quite answered, and it is still remaining as question not fully answered and I still ask “What is my lesson?” “What am I learn  from this experiences?”

In a split second, I knew what I must do next. I walked calmly to my neighbor’s house cross the Street, asked Donna to call 911 and bring something to tie my wrist with. And continued to give Donna instructions what to do in a such a calm collective way, maybe that’s why she was so shaking instead of me, couldn’t even talk. I had Donna write names and phone numbers. And ask someone to take my kids inside  of the house because I glanced with my side eyes, noticed they were crying and watching me from front of our house. I couldn’t bear to see them traumatized more than they have to.( That’s the reason I did not want them to visit me at the hospital, but let them know that I was fine by talking to them on the phone.) I silently pleaded in my mind “Please forgive me for getting hurt, I am so sorry…..”

I felt like it was almost a split second later after I got through with all the instructions with Donna, the fire truck came and the ambulance followed right after. I didn’t feel any pain at all until I got into the ambulance. What the heck!, I screamed out loud as I can this time, now I’ve got somebody to hear me out loud, demanding and pleading for something for my pain, but they had a good reason they couldn’t give me more. I forgot or I had no memories at all about what they said or maybe I was in no condition to understand anything at all.

In a split second, or was it a longest ride, I found myself in the emergency room at the UC Irvine Hospital. I can’t understand how my girl friend Linda got to me so fast from Los Angeles, 57 miles away, I wondered as I lay there helplessly, Then I heard my dearest girl friend Linda asking the doctor, in a whispering voice from the other side of the curtains.

“Can I give her my thumb? Is it possible?” I could not believe what she was willing to give up, her own thumb for me. “Is she for real?” In a split second, I guess I was in a shock with more shocking split moment. This time it was a different kind of shock. I could not hear what Doctor had told her. In a split second,  “Oh God, I have a friend.” Still this day I sometimes ask myself could I have given my thumb if she was injured, of course answer would be, yes, because I knew she would have done that for me. But what if she got injured first place, would I be willing to give her my thumb….I often wondered what my answer would have been……Still not sure of my answer to that….Could I have if I was a single without my kids? Or is this just an excuse for my answer toward “No”

The time went very slowly when they rolled me in front of the operation room. They left me there for a longest time like 3 to 4 hours, frankly I was in no condition to have sense of time or anything but noticed the hallway was so cold and one time I thought about what if my wounds getting rotten waiting so long…..

Maybe it was drugs that gave me to give plenty of allowance for this unfortunate accident victim to take my turn who needed operation room before me. And it was a bit of comfort to me to know my life was not in immediate danger. In a split second, I felt generous, “Oh, You can take my turn.” I mumbled. In a split second, I was assuring myself, “this is also my lesson, so, learn to give allowances”, As I awoke time to time from my drug state, “It’s O K, everything will be fine”. An assurance of  the still voice came from somewhere every time…

Finally, I awoke up, it was next morning, In a split second, I felt the excruciating pain,  throbbing left hand (in my head, as far as I am concerned my left fingers existed all of them, I felt all the nerves were there), arm and all the way to the shoulder.

In a split second, “O K, is this how it’s going to be?” “O K, is this what I am going to get?” “O K, then, I will take it!” I will take it all what’s coming to me” “I will embrace whatever coming my way, I will take it all.” “I will not turn away, refuse or try to avoid what’s coming to me.” It only took a split second to decide, I grunted my teeth, said to myself silently, and “This is it!”

The nurse came in with the needle in her hand heading to the Ivy stand, “What is it?” ” It’s for pain , Demerol ” In a split second, I said to her clearly,  “No, I don’t want it” The shock on her face, she could not believe what she thought what I really said, and said with almost a pity like  ( you don’t know what you are saying..) ” Oh, honey you going to need it. You will soon see, you will ask for more, everyone does, you don’t need to suffer you know.” It only took a split second to say one more time “No, I don’t want it.” She said  “O K, honey, let me know if you change your mind any time O K ?”

Later that morning, Doctor’s morning rounds team came in, The Doctor who was glancing at my chart, asked nurse, “What happen here?” Pointing the chart, she shook her head ”NO, She didn’t want it.” By this time all of them looking to see what they were talking about, and they all turn to look at me. I seriously forgot what kind of look that was. (“Are you crazy, stupid, or gutsy, or all three?”) I had no expressions on my face when I was watching them, like retarded little person lying in bed helplessly don’t even know what is going on.

In a split, I was already ready to take upon rain or shine, any more pains or sufferings. I was willing to extend my arms and embrace whatever it is. But “Wow here!!!” ” B… shit!,  Embrace your pain? Who said that so easily” “How do you embrace your pain?” In a split second, ” Attentively Feel the pain, all of it, be that pain, every bit of it, recognize degree of that pain, notice how much it hurts ” ” don’t try not to feel the pain, don’t ignore it, be that pain that is inside of you, an observer is observed !”

In a split second, when you become that pain, the fear of pain subside, there isn’t any more pain, because you are that pain. My son Eugene told me when he was 4th grader, “Mom, no fear, no hurts”

In a split second, I realized the degree of my throbbing pain will be lessened for sure as each day passes, In 6 or more weeks will be all over, my reward will be no more pain for sure.

The first day out after the accident to visit the U C Irvine clinic for my injury’s after care. As soon as I got out of my car as I walk toward the clinic, in a split second, I noticed that I was walking tall, head up, the shoulders open, like I own the side-walk. In a split second, I realized, I had a vision when I was in the hospital. I saw myself walking tall, not caring about being handicap (my new me ). Same clothing, my bandaged up left hand in a sling, wearing white mid length boots. In a split second, I said to myself,” This is how it’s going to be!” Autumn sun felt so warm on my skin. In a split second, “Oh God, Thank you, help me to be strong, I can never fall, who will take care of my beautiful daughter, Eunie and my precious son, Eugene. I can never fall apart for them. I have to be the rock for them. I must be strong. I have to show them how to find the light from the darkest hole ” From that moment on, my journey begun. It only took a split second.

One Sunday, about 3 weeks after the accident, my friend Tina convinced me to go to her church she attends came to pick me up. After the service was over, the Pastor Kim invited us to his office, literally preached to us for 2 hours, mainly it was all for me. In a split second, during that private talk, my deep soul mind grabbed one simple message.” When you are physically challenged, you must put your whole being in to the spiritual realm. You can not make it if you stay in physical world.”

In a split second, “This is it, I will make it, I have an answer.” In a split second again, “How do I put myself in the spiritual realm?”

I don’t remember when this AHA! Understanding came through as almost in one sentence. “Start negating what’s not spiritual!”

In a split second, the other answer followed. “Start negating things that you don’t need, materially, physically, and psychologically.”

The superficial things that were important before, no longer mattered anymore, everyday was a new challenge to reshaping new ideas, forming new attitudes. Putting  the intention in action, and staying with it. To be attentive to what I need be doing took lot of me all together, It was no room to slack off. “Be awake always” This is what it means that I have to be alert to notice every move I make, or feel the every bit of emotions that I go through each moment. I already anticipated it would be a one long journey or few.

The need base, this taught all of us be practical, frugal and less vein in my house hold from then on. “Do I need it?” ” Do I really need it ?” “Can you do without it?”

The important base, “What is most important thing for me to do today?” This question to myself every morning and throughout the day. This gave me the chance to tackle things diligently with assurance of that I am doing what’s most important to me at that time, and I am doing my very best.

No more guilt I had when I couldn’t finish, because I have done my best with what I have going with the time available to me. I noticed, when I knew when I do my very best, in a split second, I learned that made me happy, and it was my reward knowing I did my best, so there was no guilt anymore hovering over my head endlessly.

There were many times, I felt so helpless and sad when I wanted brush my little girl’s beautiful long hair, and when I couldn’t help my son put on his pants or the socks and tie his shoe laces. But in a split second, it was comfort to me to know they will grow up to be an independent people in the society. Let them grow up on their own, let this be the blessing in disguise.

When you lose something, we are in need of replacement. When I lost my fingers, I just had to get something for them. I cannot let part of my body wasted. In a split second, I just knew I needed to replace it with transformed self, that was my pure determination. It might have been my ego that wanting to replace my lost long gone fingers with something much more worthwhile (but it seems does not matter now)

I put on full gears on. Be awake! Be alert. Be attentive! Be open-minded!. And work hard.

If I express my commitment to myself, and to my kids was that I will try my best to be a full parent for them. Now without their choice they ended up having only half parent. I had no doubt that I can be a 1/2 parent, but I was willing to try to be a 3/4 of parent for them at least. In a split second, It was a choice-less choice.

The lesson is to fulfilling God-given responsibilities as possibly as I can without any sort of hesitations, like an auto pilot, never a burden, not a conditioned effort, always no motives I do it because I love them unconditionally. This was the part of my lesson too recognizing and expressing the love, in a split second, my heart is warm and full of joyous tears running down on my cheeks.

I strongly believe my other lesson that I recognized was the patience. In a split second, when I couldn’t pull my blue jeans up like I used to or zip it up, It was automatic recognition, and automatic discipline on my part. It was like choice less choice. The first time I realized real meaning of “The ch0ice less choice. It seemed like everything I did needed my patience even with simplest daily routines. I come to realize it was so many things we do, we do it with both hands. Every time first attempt failed, in a split second, I repeated to myself, ,”O K, Patience, let’s start over, and this time take your time, take deep breath, one small movement at a time. “Once you decided take your time, and it’s O K, to take time, suddenly you gain tremendous energy and creativity. You gain tolerance for the frustrations for not being able to carry out for the first time, and much more endurance and allowance were given to me. This is when I actually learned that I can cultivate patience by practicing? As I said it was a choice less choice to realize the moment.

My long time girl friend who was a nurse, is my kid’s God mother Jo, wrapped her left hand in a fist to see what I would go through every day for 24 hours. She said with teary eyes “It was really hard, I could not believe almost everything we do every day needed 2 hands.” In a split second I sad “Oh my, I have a friend.” I knew even after that day she continued to carry on to experiencing my ordeal and difficulties  in daily life.

My lesson which was cultivating patience.

 “Please God grant me the patience, but please hurry!” Ha! Ha!

 This really fits a description of me totally.

 This is under construction…..still

Who am I?

I will always be a single mom, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a meditator, a hiker for the rest of my life.

I  currently a co-maker of “It’s a secret!” Anti-Aging cream (the real maker is God)

I currently  a temporary care taker/owner of the “Velda Rose Resort Hotel and Spa ” in Hot Springs Arkansas. (the real owner is God,the bank is the temporary owner)

I currently  a temp.owner/co-care taker of the “Beach Store” in Huntington Beach California for 25 years. This boutique store I started with only $465.00 in my hand, my co-care taker is my great girls who work at the Beach Store (last 10 years were non-owner operated)

My passion was in to the “Wellness center” in Los Angeles 5 years ago, but folded by my son’s freak accident at  age 16 in jr. year in high school, the light pole at the park fell and hit his head while he was running the Cross-Country High School race meet.Thank God ! He was able to use the falling technic from Karate training, 3 times a week from when he was 4 years old paid off and saved his life!!!.

We spent last 4 years 24/7 together, getting well. because of this miracle happened, he is almost recovered,”the miracle boy” as doctors called him, yes!  He is doing well against all odds, now going through the process of growing pains(missed out on special time of puberty “adolescence”. yes! He is trying to find his center, trying to come out of trauma still…….I am proud  that he pulled himself through all this so far, as young as he is, and every time when I remember, I am so thankful……(phil,1:3)

I am so proud of my beautiful daughter who is getting her Master’s in “Public Policy”  from UCLA this June, is going to the UC Hastings Law school or UC Davis this fall.(So glad my son is there too going to school) I am so proud myself getting over the “empty nest syndrome, slowly but surely (writing poetry was the only therapy ha ! ha! I am an American,but Korean, torn between 2 languages, not good in either.)

I still have a passionate dream about a “Retreat center/Wellness center/Life coaching somewhere in California, ( It will have prayer room, meditation room, lecture/ dining hall, den/books/reading room, sound healing room, aroma /color therapy room, sauna/ massage room, chinese herb/acupuncture room, Quantum Bio Feed back therapy, automatic acupuncture/heat/accu-pressure therapy bed, Life coaching counselling room/small  group dialog room, small teepee for one person’s space/q.t(quite time) rooms in the back of the center in the nature in the woods, veg/flower gardens for every one to pitch in, will have weekly lectures and seminars, and the monthly big events, bi-yearly group trip to sacred places  around world. Any race, color, creeds, and religion will be welcomed. It will  be the place for people to come to rest their mind, body and soul to find the truth about themselves.”.know thy self????” ( The most attractive part will be the low and minimal cost to everyone who have wish to make some changes or one in their lives if it’s not radical transformations for whole self.)

The center will be part of foundation for the people who lost limbs (the funds will come from the sale of “It’s a secret” now it is  “mysimplesecret.com” Anti-Aging cream.)

I lost my left five fingers from the lawn mower accident in 1989, an aggressive single mom trying to do everything by myself, but that was the blessing I should say the least, This experience took me to the spiritual journey that I was on and still on perhaps till I die.This “De-programing standardized social main stream pressures”, “De-conditioning deep imbedded cultures”, “Un-loading psychological baggage”, “Negating what is not love”, “Practicing objectivity by not reacting emotionally but responding correctly,”and much more quests…….And I promised to myself that I can not and will not fall for my children, furthermore I strongly told myself that I will not waste my five fingers for nothing, so I was determined to get something worthwhile to replace the value of my fingers which diminished forever.

I just came out with  this “It’s a secret!”( Now it is “mysimplesecret.com”)Anti-Aging cream. I had it when I had the Wellness center in Los Angeles before my son Eugene was injured, but I let this idea hibernate for a while. No, I actually had no time or spare mind to do anything else but taking care of my son’s recovery. I really don’t have any idea what to do with this  Anti-Aging cream…….I put it on my bartender’s worst side of the face and neck ( only half side of the face) one Sat. night at the Banquet. forgot all about it. But she came to pick up her check on following Wednesday, her face was changed the other way around, better side became worse, of course. She wanted the cream and many more testimonies like that after that day on………specially at the Rose Garden Spa in the Velda Rose resort Hotel. We have strong true testimonies every day , also when we have the big conventions and big wedding parties, we  generously give away our samples. I am so delighted to hear these people say “Wow!” And they ask, “What’s in it ?”

 ” I can’t tell you that !”  It’s a secret !”

I just got domain name”itsasecretantiaging.com”, but now it has changed to “mysimplesecret.com”. But don’t know what to do next, as you can see I am a computer illiterate, I don’t even know how to spell things either, as you can see…..

I very much believe that all things will fall in to places some how, the law of attractions backing me up with full force, The Source is the energy outlet which is the Devine Energy itself is that we called GOD.

“No longer live life controlled by fear,” Eugene Kim, my son 21.

My Modeling years