Talking about hope until the end of life
Professor Jang Young-hee's representative essay collection that comforts us when we are tired and hurt.
The 100th Anniversary Edition of "The Miracle of Living, the Miracle of Living"

To celebrate the 100th printing of 『The Miracle of Living, the Miracle of Living』, a pink cover reminiscent of Professor Jang Young-hee's spring-like smile is published in hardcover.
This book, which Professor Jang Young-hee worked on until just before her death, became a bestseller immediately after publication and has been loved consistently to this day. It has been selected as a 'Korean Publication Ethics Committee Recommended Book', '100 Beautiful Books of Korea', 'Book of the Year Selected by Major Daily Newspapers, Bookstores, and Readers', 'Must-Read for CEOs Selected by Samsung Economic Research Institute', 'Youth Book of the Year', and 'Included in Elementary and Middle School Textbooks', establishing itself as a true classic of our time.

This book is Professor Jang Young-hee's second pure essay collection published nine years after her book, "Only Once in My Life," which won the "Writing of the Year Award." She worked on this book while struggling with cancer, but unfortunately passed away on May 9, 2009, without being able to see the book in person.
What did he want to convey to us through this book, enduring such pain? It was hope.
Although these are pieces written and refined while battling cancer three times, his writing is never heavy or depressing.
Cancer, disability… Jang Young-hee's literary talent and composure in transforming potentially gloomy subjects into appropriate humor, wit, and positivity is a unique strength and beauty that only she possesses.
Readers gain new courage and hope from this attitude toward life that knows how to transform unbearable pain into a healthy and confident one.
Because the miracle of living will become a miracle of living.

So I decided on the title, ‘The Miracle of Living, the Miracle of Living’.
Come to think of it, I want a miracle right now, nothing more, nothing less.
Because if you get cancer, you have a greater chance of dying, and anything that defies the odds is a miracle.
(…) I want to share the miracle of life with my readers.
Every day we live is a miracle, and I know very well that in my life right now it is truly a miracle.
So I hope this book becomes a book of miracles.
---From "I Want to Be Rain"

right.
The days I've lived these past three years may have been a miracle.
I was always worried about how I would live because it was hard, because I was in pain, because the burden was too heavy, and it seemed like the days of suffering would never end, but in the end, I overcame it by living each day diligently and diligently.
And now, with the power of such inner strength, I will create even more beautiful miracles.
To enjoy the many joys of life on the same boat as my loved ones who are by my side and the readers I meet again… … .
---From "The Miracle of Living, the Miracle of Living"

“Don’t make such a fuss.
“Children live only by picking up bones.”
Even if fate hits you in the back of the head and strips you of your flesh, leaving only bones, don't cry. If you have the basics, you can get back up again.
Instead of whining about being sick, you might as well just pick out the bones.
That's the way to live.
It is the power of courage, dignity, and perseverance in life, and it is the power of hope.
That is the strength of my mother, who has lived a life of hardships so far, with strength and beauty.
And perhaps it was something my mother had said to me silently throughout her life, something I had learned faithfully, something that had subtly given me strength.
---From "If you just scrape the bones, you'll live"

The first day I received chemotherapy, which was much more intense than the last time, I was scared.
An anticancer drug better known by its official name, 'Adremycin', than by its name, 'Red Pill'.
(…) For a moment I felt the bed shaking.
I held on to the bed railing tenaciously.
As if someone was pushing me off this earth, no matter how hard they shook me, I would fall, but I held on stubbornly.
In this world, I have lived an average life, neither too good nor too bad, so no matter what happens, I will live out my average lifespan, which is neither too long nor too short.
I failed to fulfill my duty to preserve my race and left behind no children who resembled me, but I will stubbornly leave behind more traces of Jang Yeong-hee.
‘I’ll make a lot of money later…’ I thought to myself, ‘I won’t be able to do anything good, but I’ll make a good mark so that Jang Young-hee can be remembered, even if it’s just a little.
---From "Did I Speak Too Highly of Hope"

I answered.
No, it's not miserable.
It's said that you have to lose to get what you want.
Whether we sing a song of hope or not, the water will rise anyway, so it's better to sing a song in that case.
The tide might suddenly change and the water might recede, or a helicopter passing over the girl's head might rescue her.
And just as the power of hope can extend life, so too can hope be a power so great that it can change destiny.
Those words may have been directed at me rather than the student.
So I still believe in that great power and, no matter what anyone says, I hold onto my hopes and wait for the new spring.

---From "Did I Speak Too Highly of Hope"