[Book Sip] A Guide for Women Caring for Parents: 'Working Daughter'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from the book. - Editor's note

This book directly addresses the serious issue of parental care emerging in a super-aged society. It honestly depicts the situations that arise when a woman who has built her career while balancing work and childcare begins to care for her sick parents. From hospitals, nursing facilities, hospice hospitals to funerals... it closely observes the psychological and physical pain of caregivers and parents, providing useful tips for caregivers to carry out care without collapsing their own lives.

Most people keep in mind that their parents will eventually pass away. However, they neither consider nor prepare for the possibility that their parents may not pass away quickly or comfortably. Parents can survive for many years in an old and sick state. They may become increasingly frail. People are also unprepared for situations where parents refuse support, block help, and ignore advice, and thus have to foolishly watch the pillars of their lives crumble.

My resentment toward my older sisters grew. I was doing too many things like hospital care, daily visits, and moving their residence, and my life was a mess. I couldn’t sleep, and I didn’t have time to do laundry, so I couldn’t dress neatly. I often fought with my husband, and work piled up. On the other hand, my sisters seemed to maintain their daily lives well. Anger grew inside me, and my husband next to me became the target of my fights.

A frog placed in boiling water jumps out immediately, but if the water warms gradually and then boils, it doesn’t recognize the danger and eventually gets boiled. Caregivers go through a similar process. It starts with small help like handling receipts or assisting with housework. Then errands and hospital visits are added. Without realizing it, the tasks keep increasing, and at some point, the burden becomes surprisingly heavy.

Working Daughter | Written by Liz O'Donnell | Simple Life | 16,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.