A Perfect Summer Day: Reflections on Friendship and Knitting

Dear Hye-jin,

Today was a perfect summer day—the kind that makes you forget about everything else and just sit, breathe, and let time slow down.

I spent the afternoon in the park with Sun-hee and Ok-rye, our usual bench under the old chestnut tree. We knitted, we laughed, we talked about nothing and everything. The sun was warm, the air smelled like fresh grass, and for once, the young ones weren’t rushing us away like we were in their way.

I finished a little sweater for Ji-min today—soft blue, just like the sky was. Sun-hee is making mittens (even though it’s summer—some habits never change), and Ok-rye, as always, is working on something far too ambitious. A whole blanket, she says. For her grandson’s wedding. The boy is nine.

We watched the children chase each other between the trees, their laughter mixing with the rustling leaves. Somewhere in the distance, an old man was playing an accordion, slow and sweet, like a memory.

Days like this remind me of when we were young. When we had all the time in the world to sit, talk, and knit by the river. Do you remember? Maybe one day, we’ll do it again.

With love,
Your sister, Jung-hee