Goodbye, Mom

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Goodbye, Mom is a bittersweet story that explores the difficulties of parent-child relationships, coping with grief and intergenerational trauma. We follow Eunyoung, as she copes with the news of her mother's death. But the news leaves her even more distraught, as she harbors deep resentment towards her mother, whom she perceives as cold and heartless. Grieving, however, means confronting all the memories, both good and bad, of the deceased. When Eunyoung discovers her mother's diary, her ghost begins to appear in her home.

Between past and present, this story shows us the importance of memories in our lives, their transience, and questions the complexity of mother-daughter relationships. As Eunyoung tries to get to know her mother better, she touches us with her human and contradictory feelings: wanting her mother to give her the same smile as in her old photos. Being angry that someone else was able to make her happy where she failed, but at the same time being relieved. Resenting that she raised her coldly, but understanding that she never knew a mother's love. Realizing how much she failed to do with or for her mother, who once gone, leaving only regrets.
On the other hand, we discover the difficulties of Heesung (Eunyoung's friend) who grew up in a loving home close to her mother, but now carries the weight of her mother's sacrifices. Heesung knows the ambivalence of wanting to separate from her mother without abandoning her. Sometimes she finds her mother a burden and wishes to live independently, but she can't imagine life without her. Having always relied on her mother, it's now time for her to support her.

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❝ My mom and I are really close and we hug each other often, but maybe I've grow too much. Now, I can't breathe in her arms. ❞

I really enjoyed this story. I think the subjects are well dealt with and can resonate with a lot of people. It's not a one-dimensional story: in addition to Eunyoung's point of view, we discover that of Heesung, who, at first glance, seems to have an ideal relationship with his mother. But this relationship, though based on love, also brings its share of difficulties. We also explore the relationship between Eunyoung's grandmother and mother: the love was there, but it could never be expressed in a healthy way and never reached her.

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❝ I can see it. It's vague, but something is hidden behind all her thorns. It wouldn't ever reached my mom. The thorns would have pricked her even before she could get to it. ❞

It was particularly interesting to see Eunyoung's mother's journey into motherhood, a rarely explored theme. This story shows that maternal love is not always instinctive, but can be cultivated.
It deals well with the impact of generational trauma. As Eunyoung delves into her mother's past, she discovers the extent to which she has been affected by her own experiences. Despite her efforts to raise her daughter differently, certain traumas remain difficult to overcome. Similarly, we see how Eunyoung has unconsciously adopted behaviors inherited from her mother.

In short, Goodbye, Mom is a story about coming to terms with grief and the complexity of mother-daughter relationships, a stage that is often difficult because it is accompanied by contradictory feelings. These themes are treated with aptness and depth in this manhwa, making the story deeply touching. All the characters love in imperfect ways and express that love in even more imperfect ways, but it's still love.